Beauty and the Geek
by Emmeline Rose
Summary: Edward Cullen is your average high school geek, the complete opposite from the popular Bella Swan and her friends Alice and Rosalie. Will Bella become the down-to-earth girl she had once been after Edward decides to change? All human
1. Questioning Myself

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. No really, I don't.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 1- Questioning Myself

Walking down the bright white hallways with my head tilted toward the floor, darting between the throng of students crowding the way to my destination. Florescent lights were mirrored in the white vinyl floors that were scarred with black scuffs from late teens racing toward their classes. Lockers lined the busy halls, their gray metallic paint brought to life the dullness and depressance that was the time that seemed to stand still between classes.

While most students rejoiced in the six minutes we were given to move between the building of Forks High, I dreaded the sound of the first bell and drew a sigh of relief and the second which brought all others sighs of discontent.

The safety of the classroom was my oasis, a paradise of right and wrong answers and endless knowledge discovered by the greatest minds of our time and generations before us. There I was freed from second-guessing myself, and from others worsening the matter by making sure my every flaw, my every imperfection and sub-standard outward appearance was clear to me.

I did not disagree with them, and made no effort to change their opinions, but every insignificant stab of their teasing remarks created a scar, and soon I would have pink marks all over my pale skin. Though the pain from these mental wounds had passed, evidence lingered still of hurt they had caused.

Slipping through the light-wood doorframe I made my way to my seat through the empty aisles. Two others had arrived before I had, and their noses were buried in their textbooks, reviewing the pages they had practically memorized.

I slid my green backpack off my shoulder and took out the books that were required. Laying the heavy textbook on my desk that had white layers across the top that read 'Chemistry', and flipping through the pages, the corner of my eye revealed to me that the teacher was approaching.

He was a tall man, with thinning red hair crowning his nearly bald head and forming a small beard along his chin. A think grouping of keys were hooked to the belt loop in his jeans, making his presence known wherever he walked. The school t-shirt he was wearing was partially covered by a bright blue windbreaker, and his white tennis shoes squeaked softly on the floor.

Still facing the black lab table that sat two, I began setting up the various tubes and glass containers needed for the experiment that was about to be conducted.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen." he said to me in his somewhat loud voice.

"'Morning Mr. Erickson." I replied respectfully. I usually liked talking with the teachers, just not in the presence of my peers; they had enough fuel to burn me with and were in no need of more.

"How was the homework last night?" It was a strange question to be asked, for he knew as well as anyone that academics were never strenuous on me.

"It was fine. Why?" I looked up at him as he took a seat next to me. His expression worried me; had I earned a failing grade? Impossible. Had I missed a homework? Impossible.

"Are you going to the spring dance, Edward?" Now the concern I had felt became confusion. Why was my teacher asking about my social activities, or lack there of?

"Well, you are usually one of the first in my room, you get all your work done, you do the extra-credit, and you have 104 in my class. I never see you around town, unless you are in the library and well, this is hard to say. Edward, you are only young once- don't barricade yourself from the world. Any university would be crazy not to accept you, but you know, there are some other things equally as important as future plans." His speech ended and left me confused.

"Like what?" was all I could muster.

"Like the present." He gave me a pat on the shoulder and walked back to his wooden desk. What did he mean by that? Weren't teachers supposed to encourage what I do? Weren't they the ones that said study first and play later? What had I done wrong when I was doing everything right? I had never known someone to disappoint an adult by being an honor student with good grades.

Stunned, I sat silently without having moved when the bell jarred me from my 'episode'. Mr. Erickson began his lecture as I was pulling out my notebook. Quickly I jotted down some of what he had said to me on the back page, hoping I would have time later to think about what it meant, and this is how it read, remembering only one line in peticular:

* * *

he said something about only seeing me at the library, and if i was going to the dance. it was weird. he sat next to me

he said something about things that are important as the future, and i said "like what?"

"Like the present." he said

* * *

After scribbling what I remembered in my hideous scrawl, I turned my focus back to class. Whatever it was that he meant, it would have to wait.

Two classes and an hour of assignments later, the dreary cafeteria became my surroundings. The wood that was glued onto the walls was being washed by one of the custodians who were unlucky enough to be put in charge of scraping Friday's tuna surprise off the walls. Sliding into the white table that was too familiar to me, I dug into my backpack for the crinkled brown bag inside.

A few others that were considered to be in the same low social standing were eating with their heads still buried in their homework. Pencils were stuck above their ears, braces lined their teeth and glasses hid their focused eyes behind the glare reflecting from the lenses. Their clothes were cheap and plain, some even ill-fitting, and their hair were frizzy and uncombed.

I bit into my sandwich, wishing the world was blind. While I myself did not tend to socialize with them, it was because I did not socialize with anyone, the other students ignored them and tortured them because they were not concerned with such trivial things as fashion and looks, one trait that I shared with them.

However, the difference between me and the other geeks/nerds/dorks were that they did not care what people thought and were not affected by their cruel words, where every hostile syllable that crossed their lips about me haunted my every step, my every movement, and every sentence I wrote and question I answer correctly.

Having finished my lunch silently, I slung my backpack over my shoulders and stepped into the bitter cold that awaited me outside. Twenty minutes were left to pass before the bell would chime once more, and when normally I would sit myself outside my next class, I took a seat outside in the desolate campus. The icy chill reddened my cheeks and nose, awaking the millions of senses that I knew lay in the skin, the largest organ...

I didn't take it to heart what my chemistry teacher had said, or even accused me of being. All I knew was that this was the only way I knew how to be , and it wasn't worth the effort to change it.


	2. Someone Like Me

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or any of the characters except for the guy with the hair gel. You didn't seriously think I did, did you?

Chapter 2- Someone Like Me

The day passed by without event, and soon enough the final bell had rung. At the bottom of the stairs a locker full of homework awaited me. My fingers were growing ever closer to losing all feeling in their entirety. The chill of the thin metal that was meant to protect my valuables seemed to pass directly into my core, of course that was partially due to the thinning fibers of my worn-out coat.

Kneeling to the bottom locker labeled 415, a familiar perfume scent burned my nostrils.

It was her. Them, more specifically. The three girls that made every female in the vicinity cringe out of worry or anger. Every step they took created a wave of hysteria; girls aching to become their best friend, some girls hid around the corner, and others simply glared.

Guys would run their hands through their hair or stretch to show off their flexed muscles, hoping to make a good impression, some would trip in the mere mention of their names, and then there was me. I simply focused on the books I needed to take home, not even sparing a passing glance to the girls.

One of the juniors whose locker was above mine raked gel through his hair before they passed his location. Unfortunately, he was unaware that the cap was half broken, well less fortunate for me rather than him. A glob of blue, bubbly, not quite liquid yet not quite solid stuff oozed onto my plaid-covered shoulder.

Looking at me with wide, apologetic eyes, my patience was spent.

"Dude!" I said to him while trying to wipe the sticky solution off of my shirt. "Seriously!"

"Sorry, man. But you know..." he trailed off, still lusting after the three departed girls.

"Oh be serious. Take my advice, give up. They're not worth it!" I replied angrily. Normally, I was quiet and kept to myself, but there were times when my temper got the better of me. I stormed away and kicked my locker shut.

Continuing to make my way through the halls at a rapid pace, my eyes studying the floor that moved quickly beneath my feet, the peripheral vision that I counted on defied me. Suddenly, a hard body came in contact with mine, knocking books and papers out of my arms. Ducking down to recover them, I looked up to apologize.

"Sorry, I-I didn't see you, I..." My voice trailed off weakly. Looking down at me was Bella Swan. Her arms were folded across her pink, v-neck sweater, over which her thick, wavy dark hair cascaded. A white scarf hung from her neck in an elaborate knot just below her collarbone, making her pale skin seem slightly tan. Her perfectly manicured fingers were curled into fists as she watched over me.

Dark blue jeans clouded my vision as I knelt down beside them. Not daring to look into her angry brown eyes, I piled papers into my arms with great haste. To my humiliation, I began to mumble apologies under my breath.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you, well, I wasn't looking for you, or anyone else, I see you now, and everyone else I see them too..." I felt like the biggest idiot, I felt like what everyone called me, the epitome of dufus. Taking pity on me, she did not burn me with an icy glare but instead words rolled off of her gloss-filled lips.

"Just don't let it happen again." Annoyance and mild disgust was audible in her voice. She turned to grimace with her friends and stomped away. Only then did the hall echo with laughter. Students were turning red with amusement while I turned red with embarresment. Another slash, another scar, only this time it was legitamate, for I alone had caused myself this humiliation.

With my head bowed down to the floor, I stuffed my things into my backpack and raced out the door toward the bike rack.

The rusted gray bike stood far apart from the other two that were locked there. To my dismay, the two freshman who owned them approached.

"...so yeah the dragon doesn't even breathe fire until level 5."

"Awesome! So what do you suggest I use, the big sword or the..."

I drowned out their comments about the lame video game that controlled their lives. They were considered to be no better than me on the social scale, but they would be burger flipping while I was a successful...well, something at least. Mounting my bike, I was headed toward the only place I where I never needed to protect myself. Home.

For me, home was the white mansion by the river, surrounded by trees. No one would ever guess the high numbers that littered my parent's back accounts when looking at me, and I prefered it. I used to say that it would give others a chance to know me for me, and not for my money, but now know one bothered to know me at all, and I was out of excuses.

Pedaling at the fastest rate my muscles allowed without my lungs gasping for breath, I streamed past the endless woods, past the stores that bordered the main street, and past the paved roads until I hit the path that led me under the canopy of trees. Winding past boulders and over hills and bumps, this shortcut I had made so many years ago cut through the forest and crossed the river that gushed by my window.

Every landscape that I passed was imprinted in my mind, every bump and pebble was known to me before I crossed it. Slowing my pace, soft songs of the birds wove their way into my ear. Moss crept up the sides of the once brown trees, fallen leaves rotted in the soil that my front tire plowed through. Beams of gray light that were filtered through the clouds and treetops made contact with the earth creating what I considered to be the face of heaven.

Golden gates were absent here, the floor was not made of cloud but of dirt and rock, but heaven could not possibly be more beautiful than this.

On a normal day, I would pause to admire the forest, yet today not even this sight more prestine than any artist's painted canvas could soothe me.

Rippling water came into my earshot, and I knew that the distance home was shrinking. Without a second glance to the beauty that surrounded me, I dropped my sad excuse for a vehicle, wiped my feet on the mat by the door and let myself in.

My mother was first to greet me, as she always was.

"How was your day, sweetie?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around me. "Edward, you're freezing, you must let me buy you a new coat otherwise I will pace holes in the floor wondering if you caught hypothermia." She looked over my ragged clothes, but then saw the look in my eye that was always seen by her.

Dark blue eyes glazed over my face. Cupping her hands around my cheeks she saw the solemnity in my expression. Releasing my gaze from the floor I looked back at her. "Oh Edward, what happened?" This was not the first time she had seen her only son come home like this. Leading me to the couch with a cup of green tea in her hands, I inhaled deeply and began the story.

"I'm just so sick of it, Mom. Really, I am. I don't even know why it bothers me, it just does. Can we move?" She chuckled at my last remark. I looked at her in a way that would tell her I was serious.

"But you love Forks, and you only have three years left of high school including the one you're halfway through. There has to be another way we can fix this." I am not going to lie, I was a little upset with her reaction. Wait three more years of this torture to be free? I wasn't sure I could live through it. But I knew that uprooting my family was not going to make my life or theirs any easier. It was hard enough having a son like me who spends his days studying, I didn't need to go around making it worse.

"I guess I'll just have to wait it out." Was all I could say. My mother hugged me and swiped my bronze hair out of my eyes that was identical to hers.

"There isn't anything you could do in the meantime?" she asked.

"Not that I am aware of. I got up to go to my room to finish the mountain of homework that awaited me, as I always did. I stopped to look in the mirror in the hall, something I rarely did.

My greasy long hair hung in my eyes and was partially tucked behind my ear. I did not remember the last time I had gotten a hair cut; I pulled a strand and found that the end reached my jawline. That could not be good. My brown-rimmed glasses sat awkwardly on my nose, making it seem as if my face was a-symmetrical. My eyes traveled to my clothes. A ratty, red, flannel shirt hung over my shoulders, for it was a size too big.

The beige khaki pants that were torn at the bottoms rubbed against itself noisily when I walked or even turned my thin torsoe in another direction. My anxiety-ridden face was lined with red acne that made me sympathize with pepperoni pizza.

This had to change. I knew I could not go through life like this, but I also knew I could not go through life any other way. I knew for now that I just had to stay put, that I just had to bear the harsh words and cruelty that I faced everyday. Nine school grades had passed, each day more horrendous than the last, but perhaps three years was not as long as it seemed. My stress had gotten to me, that was understandable, but I would not tolerate giving up. I had worked too hard.

Hours passed. Days passed. Weekends came and went. Calendar pages had been turned, and months had passed. Second semester had begun and the first quarter had ended. When it seemed time was standing still, it had in fact been moving. The earth had still rotated in my misery.

April dates were scribbled on the corners of homework instead of March. The first bell of the day had rung, and so had the second, but the teacher's desk remained empty. Mrs. Koenig, my homeroom teacher walked up to the front of the class with a student I had never laid eyes on before. Though I hated to admit it, my interest was peaked. I turned to face the new kid on the block, as they say.

Shy blue eyes darted between locks of blond hair that hung in his face, his shoulders slouched over making it perfectly clear how he disliked attention. Thick, black rimmed frames held rectangular lenses of his glasses. His clothes were strange, dark jeans that seemed perfectly cut made him seem even taller than he already was, a gray t-shirt was covered by a gray knitted sweater that might have even been cashmere.

The english teacher led him to the front of the room, touching the student's face with a hint of pink embarressment. _Poor guy_ I thought to myself. It is bad enough when your peers throws you into the spotlight when it is unwanted, but even worse when the pitcher is your new teacher.

Mrs. Koenig did not mean any harm, of course, she was nice enough. She was one of if not the youngest teacher at Forks High School. She was no older than twenty five, and no taller than 5''1'. Her dirty blonde hair was swept up into a clip at the back of her head, her blue eyes darted around the classroom's reaction to the new student. In appearance, she could have been the guy's mother...

"Class, we have a new student here. This is Jasper Whitlock..." my sympathies rested with him, for his cheeks were cherry red upon the introduction. "Where did you say you moved from, Jasper?" she asked, clearly trying to get him to ease up and speak, only with no prevail. Could she not see the negative effect this had on him?

"Houston." he mumbled. His voice was soft, and traces of a southern accent still lingered in his throat.

"Great! Well, I am sure you will love it here in Forks. You can take the empty seat right over there." she said, pointing toward the empty desk in the front row next to me. It was not often that I felt as if I understood another being, but this time was different. I knew how he felt, and while that was strange to me I felt as if I had a duty to help him, that it would be selfish to allow myself to remain silent.

I went against one of my highest morals and scribbled a note on a piece of scratch paper and tore off the corner. When the Mrs. Koenig turned to face the board to begin the notes I tossed the paper ball onto his desk. Without being noticed, I watched his eyes skim over what I had written. A faint smile creased his lips as he wrote a reply.

The paper landed on my desk, and carefully I began to open it. Note passing is a hard task to undertake when sitting in the front row, and having never done it before my muscles tensed with the anxiety of being caught.

Words in my handwriting and his were scrawled out on the crinkled paper. It read:

_Hey. Sorry you had to go through that, she does that with everyone. _

_Thanks. I guess you can say I am not one for attention._

I could not argue with that. Again, I wrote and waited for Jasper's response.

_Want to meet up after school? You have a lot of work to catch up on._

_Sounds great! I really need some help on this. Where should we meet?_

_We can meet up at the bike rack near the flagpole, and I can show you to the library if you want._

_Sure, I know where that is. Thanks a lot for helping me like this. _

_No problem. I'm Edward Cullen by the way. _

_Jasper Whitlock, but you already know that._

I could not help but give a chuckle at the last addition, and I saw him grinning as well. Finally, after all this time, I had found someone like me.


	3. A New Alliance

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. I wish. Really, I do.

Chapter 3- Alliance

The final bell had struck, and I emptied my locker faster than usual so as not to keep Jasper waiting. Slipping through the crowded doorway I saw Jasper standing near my rusted bike, which I now wished I had hidden or disposed of.

His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of the coat he had pulled over his shoulders. He leaned against the school sign with his head turned away, looking down to the parking lot with a faraway look in his eyes and one of his feet against the sign. A light blew scarf was tossed around his neck as it blew gently in the wind. He was a photographer's dream.

Though gangly and strange, he had promise. He might be able to change. We were not as similar as I had hoped, but on the other hand I was happy for him. At least one of us could be normal.

I had not gone the entire day without talking to my new friend; we had history together and had met up for lunch. For once, I was proud to be sitting at the table that now housed Jasper and myself. We had talked about many different things, about his home in Houston, and the previous cities he had lived in, which explained the faintness of his accent. We spoke of our families, his was small like mine. We talked about school, of course, but none of it was related to homework.

I had just bitten into my apple when the witches of west, east, and south passed behind me. Jasper's mouth was ajar as he had tried to devour his sandwich mid-sentence when he froze. His eyes traveled with their steps, and I did not have to look behind me to know that they had not spared him even a glance.

"Don't go there, man. Trust me." I snapped him out of his gaze.

"Who are they?" He asked. I sighed and began the story of the group.

"Well, the blonde's name is Rosalie Hale. She's lived here her entire life, but wants to be a model. Shocker, I know. It seems to be the only profession besides trophy wife she would be cut out for...anyway the short one is Alice Brandon. She and Rosalie have been friends forever. And then the brunette is Bella Swan. Her dad is the police chief, and she moved up here from Phoenix in eighth grade. Rosalie and Alice decided she had potential, so they scooped her up and began the brainwash process."

He absorbed the information with great interest.

"And the guy? Who's he?" he asked. I craned my neck to see a very tall, broad-shouldered guy in a football letterman's jacket.

"That's Emmett Tucker. Star of the football team and the only guy good enough for Miss Rosalie." I said with mockery in my tone.

His shoulders seemed to relax, and he exhaled deeply, as if he were...relieved? No, I was not going to lose the only friend I might ever have in this misery to corruption by the witches.

"Jasper, close your mouth. Don't waste your time on them. Which one?" I asked. I knew one of the posse had already captured his heart, or at least, his hormones.

He looked down to the table and murmured.

"Alice. The little one." We began talking about other things, and eventually got away from the subject, but I knew this would end badly for him. There was no way out of it, but I hadn't the heart to tell him.

Jasper turned his head and saw me coming toward him. He walked forward a few steps and slung his black backpack over his shoulders.

"So, where are we off to?" he asked.

"Just let me get my bike first." He followed me to the rusty piece of tin on wheels that I called my own. Worried, that he may simply take off and run, I unlocked it quickly and walked with it on the side not occupied by Jasper.

"You don't need to be embarrassed." was all he said.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." he said, smiling. He saw the confusion on my face and answered my silent question. "Your bike, you are embarrassed by it. You don't need to be, I don't even know how to ride one." I gave him a grin and walked a little taller than usual. Something about this new guy was likeable.

I led him down the roads that wove through Forks, taking various shortcuts through the woods that were imbedded with my tire marks. We continued the conversation we were forced to end during lunch. For once, the lunch bell had rung too early. We shared information on teachers, gave tips for studying, and for legible handwriting, a skill I did not posses.

The front of the library greeted us as we walked up the cement steps. The red-brick building had many hours of memories for me. Dark wood paneling and intimate green lamps standing next to plush couches and seats created the perfect setting for reading. In the far corner, a small fireplace blazed with orange flames. The entire building was picturesque, and fulfilled the setting I had often pictured authors writing in.

I stuck the barcode of my library code under the small machine nailed to the wall that beamed red crossing line from the bottom. Jasper followed silently behind me, clearly unsure of this new setting. We walked past the counter when Jasper told me to stop.

"Excuse me, Miss. How would I go about getting a library card?" he asked the woman behind the desk. Charm flooded his once mumbling vocal chords, and a smile graced his lips, giving the clerk a hint of flushed cheeks. Maybe I was wrong about him, maybe he was simply shy, but in all other aspects, far above me in the food chain.

"Um, yes. Just fill out this form please. Nice to see you again Edward. Is he a friend of yours?" she asked.

"Yeah, this is Jasper Whitlock. Jasper, this is Miss Gorger."

"Well, if this young man is your friend, I suppose I can give you one here, no sense in making you wait for it in the mail. You know the post office these days, never know whose mail you get..."

Ten minutes later, the machine printed out a green plastic card with Jasper's name printed on it. Strolling over to the array of couches that I had deemed the most comfortable over the years, a book caught my new friend's eye. Pulling it out, he walked back over to me with his face buried in its pages. Gold letters stamped onto the cover read "The Civil War: The North, the South, and the Reconstruction".

As we sat, Jasper described his love for the Civil War. In fact, I had noticed the expanse of his knowledge on the subject in history class. He went on for twenty minutes about aspects of the war that I had never even thought about, nor read about. With this recent discovery of his secret obsession, I felt more at ease about my previous worries with Jasper. He was like me, I had only needed to know how.

Whenever a twinge of doubt came across me, I snuck a glance at the clumsy kid next to me. More than once his pencil was twirled right out of his fingers, flying across the room with impressive force, prompting him to have to search for it. Often was it that he had to take off his designer glasses to clean them vigorously with the dark red cloth he kept in his pocket. In his wallet where his library card now resided there had been a piece of paper with his new address and phone number written on it in feminine handwriting that I assumed was his mother's.

Hours of tutoring and joking went by before we made our way home. I propped my bike off the lawn and offered to walk him home due to the fact that he did not have a clue about where he was in relation to his house. Our voices were raspy from all the talking we had done; and for once I knew the feeling of being happy in someone else's company besides my parents, and I liked it.

Before he ascended his porch steps, he said something that I did not expect to hear.

"Thanks for everything Edward. I don't know how I would have gotten through the day without having someone to talk to. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." I replied. He waved from the window as I walked away. _He_ needed _me_. All this time I had thought it was the opposite. At that moment, I knew that I would no longer endure lunch hour alone. For the first time I had a friend.


	4. Lean On Me

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. Duh.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 4- Lean On Me

Time had passed more quickly than I was used to, and I knew that was due to the friendship I had with Jasper. Before I had looked forward to Algebra 2 and Chemistry, but here I found myself trying to pass the time until English and History- the classes we shared. Schooldays were now built upon the foundation of lunch hours filled with laughter and jokes, while the hours between the final bell and sunset were spent with Jasper in the library or at one of our houses. I had never seen my mother and father so happy to see me socialize, and I could not blame them.

My new friend and myself were still the butt of many jokes, that had not changed, and I doubted if it ever would. The difference now, however, was that were we not alone, and found ourselves supporting each other, and picking up our counterpart after they got kicked to the ground. Of course, this was figuratively speaking, for our abuse was mental, until one day came when the pattern was broken.

The same, sterile white hallway surrounded us, thick crowds of students stifled our breaths, and all was considered to be normal. Normal, now I had no sense of the word. Jasper and I were walking side by side, talking about some subject that would soon become meaningless. Two minutes had passed since the bell had struck, and the history room awaited us. Smiling as we criticized the poorly written, modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet we had watched in home room, the corner of my eye revealed three female forms in the distance. Slowly, Jasper's head turned to face the source that caught my glance.

Alice Brandon stood beside Bella Swan fixing her hair. Her eyes sparkled with traces of the spirit and joy that resided inside her tiny body. Small fingers pulled through her black hair, adjusting her short, spiky locks into perfection, tucking strands here and there with a content look about her face. Her freshly glossed lips reflected the bright lights that floated above her amidst the white ceiling tiles, and her concentrated hazel eyes were fixed on her compact mirror. She had imprisoned my friend's heart, and every time she appeared into his view, she may as well have driven a knife into his chest; it would have been less painful.

Jasper gazed at her tiny frame, unable to release his stare. Grazing my eyes over the group that would be the only socialites that Forks would ever have, I noticed Rosalie Hale and her boyfriend Emmett Tucker were standing behind Alice and Bella. Rosalie leaned against a section of gray lockers, a wide smile stretched across her modelesque face. Long, blonde hair spilled over her shoulders as she flirted aimlessly with Emmett.

A large arm brimmed with muscle supported Emmett's weight as he leaned over Rosalie. A cocky grin graced his lips as he whispered in her ear. The very sight of it made my stomach turn. Their public displays of affection were the complaints that filled the teacher's lounge and fuel for gossip that swarmed the mouths of the petty people who spread the rumors both true and false.

Next to me, my friend was still locked in his fantasy. I elbowed him gently and hissed.

"Jazz, stop it. You look ridiculous. You're gonna creep her out you know." No response was spoken. "Jazz..." Worry spread through me. Many people stopped to gawk at the goddess-like beauty that brightened these dull halls for so many hormone-ridden boys, but he was taking this too far.

Alice's face was still focused on her reflection, unlike Rosalie. Her head was turned, looking at Jasper with a slightly frightened expression. Suddenly, my heart sank as Emmett's giant head began to turn toward us. "Jasper..." I warned under my breath. The giant, barrel-chested quarterback straightened his spine as his shoulders began to turn, with adrenaline filling his swollen veins. "Dude! Get a hold of yourself before we become indented in the wall!"

The southern blue eyes beside me flickered between Emmett and I, and I knew that he had realized the gravity of the situation. Alice had tucked away her mirror and asked Rosalie as to the source of the rage in his eyes, and Bella sheltered half of her torso behind her open locker door, as if she was concerned.

We stopped where we were, petrified to move. The throngs of people parted and formed a circle, in which Jasper, Emmett and I were in the middle of. This was it. I had witnessed it many times before, and it was well known that when a circle is formed, a fight is about to begin, and there was no way out of it. Jasper's invisible trembles were known not only to me, for his face was filled with worry and showed hints of terror.

Broad shoulders and ruthless eyes stormed towards us. His loud voice bellowed through the corridor.

"What's your problem, dweeb?" His face was mere inched from Jasper's, which was now facing the floor, avoiding the deadly glare in front of him.

"I said, WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM, DWEEB??" he yelled.

"N-n-no I don't have a problem." Jazz stammered nervously, not daring look into Emmett's eyes.

"What, just because you can't land a girl does that mean you have to gawk at other guy's girlfriends?" So that had been the cause. Rosalie had mistaken Jasper's crush for Alice for her instead. It made perfect sense-she had been standing directly behind Alice when he had been staring.

Confusion swept his face. "W-what? N-no I wasn't staring at, um, her..."

"So what, she's not pretty enough for you or something??" There was no escape in sight, and our graves were only being continued to be dug for us, and our tombstones inscribed.

"No, I mean yes, I mean no, I mean..."

"What do you mean?" He spat out angrily. A giant hand reached out from the massive bully, hitting my friend square in the chest, sending him backward. "You hear what I said?" Jasper was pushed back another half foot. Short, staccato jabs continued to strike his chest, each one harder than the first. I could not just stand back and allow the only person I related to get pummelled into a Jasper Whitlock pulp on the laminate floor, and I began to form a plan to intervene. No matter how many ideas ran through my mind, I was unable to command my cemented feet to move, and was forced to watch this hostile scene.

"It-it won't happen again." he spat out.

"So you _were_ looking at her!" Uh oh, I thought to myself. Wrong answer. An evil laugh erupted from the bully as he turned back to face the girls. "You hear that, Rose? The little perv was staring at you!" He turned back and stomped toward Jasper once more. The same, gigantic hand reached out to his throat, grabbing his shirt in his mammoth fist, and pulling him toward his face. Another fist was formed in the air beside him, and the time had come to force myself out of my present location.

Slowly, I approached the two. Creeping behind Emmett, I did the unthinkable. My hand smacked his bear-like shoulder as I began to yell.

"Lay off, man! He didn't hurt anyone, did he? Just let him go, you creep!" Rage ensnared his brown eyes as he whipped his head back, and slowly began to recoil his fist. Jasper's face crinkled in anticipation.

A blunt force sent pain rushing toward my cheekbone and eye as my glasses dug into my cheek. The blast had knocked my legs from beneath me, gravity snatching me to the ground where I remained. Supporting myself on one arm as I lay face to the laminate floor, a drop of scarlet blood dripped from the left side of my nose; a teardrop of crimson misery. Touching my fingers to my stinging cheek, I looked to see wet fingers turned cherry-red below my face.

Looking up at the cause of my disposition, I had learned that I received the blow intended for the boy now held against the lockers.

Shock was read all over Jazz' face, worry clouded his eyes and his mouth was agape with surprise, whether it was due to the attack from Emmett or me, I was unsure. While I was trapped inside my frozen body, Emmett had not forgotten the student he held by the shirt. He slammed him against the gray lockers and threatened him quietly.

"I never want you looking in her direction again, do you hear me?" Another slam to the lockers was heard. Jasper nodded in obeying his order. Metallic screeches echoed through the premises as the southerner's head was slammed into the locker he was pressed against. He slid down the side, his eyes were closed and his mouth was gasping for air for his heaving lungs. The bell had rung upon the impact of the brute's fist to my face, and the audience had cleared.

I stayed where I was, and said not a word. Leaning on my right arm with the upper half of my aching body lifted above the ground, I let my head fall toward the floor with my swollen eyes shut. My glasses had been knocked clear off my face and lay crooked with cracked lenses beside me, and droplets of maroon blood would fall from time to time. Silence spread through the dismal setting, leaving plenty of space for pain and degradation.

A balding man in a brown suit jogged around the corner as I wallowed in self-pity.

"Oh my god, boys, what happened here?" Jasper and I exchanged glances, communicating with our eyes in such a way that told the other that our thoughts were one and the same.

The principal helped us up as we retold the vague outline of the story, wincing occasionally.We hobbled down the hallway looking like ragged drunks with our swaying steps. My left eye, cheek, and side of my side swelled beneath my hand; I could almost feel it turning purple. Jasper was dizzier than I by far, however.

The blow to his head had left him dazed and unable to balance and required the Principal's hold for stability. Following closely behind the pair, my eyes wandered to the window of my Chemistry class as we passed by. Mr. Erickson was conducting a lecture when he saw me pass with my face bruised and bleeding. Our glances met for one long second, and disappointment filled his eyes. His gaze traveled back to his desk, but I could not help but feel ashamed after our glance broke.

The principal sat us inside the health office where we held ice packs to our aching skulls. We sipped water from paper cups and laid on paper-covered beds, waiting for the pain to subside. The school nurse had stepped out to take a phone call, and we were left alone.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything for you Jazz." I released the hint of guilt that gnawed at me.

"Hmm? Oh, that, you did all you could, man, and you still ended up getting punched in the face. He would have done what he did either way. Don't beat yourself up about it, especially since he already did."

I ignored his sarcasm and continued.

"Hey, when are your parents gonna be home?"

"Umm, I dunno. Late, I think."

"Look, if you want, I can take go with you to the hospital, I'm sure my dad would be happy to see you." Confusion struck his dazed face.

"Why would your dad be happy to see me?"

"He's a doctor, Jazz. You might have a concussion." I replied, rolling my eyes, well, eye.

"Oh." I decided then and there that I would not let him out of my sight. The nurse came back in with a clipboard in her hand.

"How are you boys feeling?" Her sticky sweet voice hurt my ears.

"I'm alright, just hurts a lot. Him on the other hand is a little out of it." I answered for the both of us.

"Well, I don't think it would be a problem if you two wanted to leave early." I pondered the question, and told her we would leave early, missing only the last two classes of the day and getting off campus before Emmett could find us. Suddenly, voices rose from the room next to us, the Principal's office. The door opened a sliver by the hand of the brute allowing us in their earshot.

"You have four days suspension for hitting Mr. Cullen and Mr. Whitlock, Mr. Tucker!" The principal called after him.

"It was worth it." Emmett glared at us with a smug smile as he passed the window he hid behind.

Fifteen minutes and two ice packs later, we made our way out the front door of Forks High. My arm was around Jasper to keep him walking in a straight line as we stepped down the concrete stairs. We had crossed the lawn and were stumbling through the parking lot when Jazz made a realization.

"Hey, Edward, what about your bike?"

"Just leave it. No one would want to steal it, and I can't walk the both of you, especially without my glasses." I said as I stuffed the twisted metal and glass into my backpack pocket.

Green trees stretch before us, as if greeting us after a hard day. They stood silent and still beneath soft, clouded skies hovered as they had before, and offered us a hint of comfort. Fulfillment was what I gained with helping Jasper, and someday he would do the same for me. This was when I realized what friendship meant, that the other would always have someone to lean on when they are torn by sadness...or just really dizzy.


	5. A New Perception

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters except for the weird teachers- but they actually exist! Sorry guys...

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 5- Perception

Giggles overwhelmed me Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett and I walked through the halls toward our lockers.

"Hey, Bella, can I borrow your mirror?" Alice's chipper voice sang.

"Only if I can borrow your lip gloss." I bargained. She thought for a second, then started pulling out the small, silver tube when she said

"Done!" The pixie-like girl whom I deemed one of my best friends on the planet stood beside me as we tried to ignore Rosalie and Emmett's flirtatious remarks behind us. The football star leaned against the locker as Rose smiled and teased; something Alice and I had become accustomed to.

"So, what are we doing this weekend?" I asked.

"I don't know. We could make a trip up to Seattle, my closet has been begging for new clothes...and shoes...and purses... and..." Giggling, I replied.

"Seattle it is. We'll take Rose's car. God I hope it's actually sunny so we could drive with the top down for once."

"Doubt it." I scoffed. A tiny smack on my arm tore my attention away from the pink gloss in my hand. Searching for the source of Alice's gaze, my eyes fell on an angry Emmett and slightly intimidated Rosalie. Our heads turned toward the mouth of the hallway we stood in and found two boys that seemed to be in our grade frozen stiff.

The first boy smacked the other on the arm as my girlfriend had done, trying to get his attention. Strangely colored hair hung in strings across his acne-covered face and glasses sat crooked on his nose. He looked to be about five feet seven inches tall, dwarfed by his tall, gangly friend. The boy next to him seemed about five foot eleven and had an awkward stance about him aside from his petrification. Both their eyes widened to the size of melons as Emmett began to stare them down. What had they done to Emmett? Why would two dorky kids be on his hit list?

Leaning down to her ear, I whispered to my friend.

"What did they do?"

"I think he thinks that the tall one was staring at Rosalie funny; strange, looked more like he was looking at me... anyways, he hates him now." Sliding behind the open locker door near to me, I watched the fight begin.

"You hear that Rose? That little perv _was_ looking at you!" Emmett had blown a fuse and laughed like a lunatic.

"Emmett..." Rosalie whispered so her lips were readable to him. "Emmett, please, you know I hate it when you do things like this..." Her silent speech was ignored, and had no affect.

"You don't think he'll hit him, will he?" Alice interrogated Rosalie. She leaned against the locker and exhaled deeply with a hint of annoyance in her expression.

"Of course he will. He's in too deep; it's too late for them." Before I knew what had happened, the bell struck the note calling us to class as Emmett's fist struck the first kid in the face. The new kid had been shoved against the lockers repeatedly until his head made a significant impact with the metal, causing him to fall to the floor with his back sliding down the lockers he had been shoved into.

Alice and Rosalie had left at the bell, but I had remained hidden around the corner. I could not take my eyes off of them, their sadness seemed to absorb into the walls and emanate into the atmosphere; I could almost feel their pain.

My heart sunk as I saw the bleeding boy on the floor, watching his blood drip below him. The new boy remained on the floor with his eyes still shut. Dark-haired kid's glasses had been shattered and lay broken beside him, and his head slowly turned in my direction. Hiding myself further behind the corner, I caught a glimpse of the eyes that were once hidden by lenses and glare.

Melon green eyes darted around the floor, making me gasp. I had never seen such a brilliant green in my life, and was sure no one else could have either. His hair that normally hung in his face had been swept aside momentarily, allowing me a full view of his once shielded face. At a certain angle, he might have been...or with the right lighting he could...I did not know what causes it, but for I second I could have sworn that he had once, or may in the future, be handsome.

Somewhat startled, I rushed to my next class, and not a moment too soon, for the principal appeared where I had been moments before. The last thing I need was for Charlie to find out that I got in trouble again.

One tardy and twenty minutes later, I caught a glimpse of the two boys gliding past my Chemistry class through the window in the door. The teacher paused his lecture for a moment as he glanced at them passing by. Their heads had ice packs held to them, and the two look slightly dazed. A pained look was present in the darker-haired boy's brilliant green eyes. Perhaps it was pity that made me think him attractive, along with the color of his eyes. It took more than good coloring to be attractive, I convinced myself.

The last bell of the day rang, and to my relief the day had passed somewhat fast. I could not shake the image of the two boys laying on the ground, beaten inside and out from my head, however. I met up with Alice and Rosalie after school as usual, and tried to hide the disturbed feelings in my mind.

"Hey Bella." Rosalie was smacking Emmett on the arm when Alice greeted me.

"Hi Alice. What's with Rose?"

"Making him pay for what he did." I successfully hid my shock. Did she see the same promise that I did?

"You mean, she cares what happened to those two boys?" Alice scoffed and replied.

"No, course not. He got suspended for four days, and she's pissed." So I was crazy after all.

"Oh. Right. C'mon, I have to get home soon if I want to have even time to cook Charlie's favorite foods." Rosalie joined Alice and I as I said this, and entered the conversation.

"And why do you _have_ to do this? There is such thing as pizza." Rosalie added.

"I turned sixteen in September and still don't have a car because of my detentions, and since I haven't gotten one recently, some sucking-up won't hurt."

"Guess so." She shrugged. Rose and I took the front seats in her red BMW that put all the other cars to shame. Alice waved as she slid into her yellow Porsche that was only less valuable than Rose's due to the fact that it used to be her father's. Rosalie and I chatted about the day's events, all but the fight of course. She did say how mad she was at Emmett, and that it would be days until she let him kiss her again. By her pattern, it would be half a school day before they made up.

Bounding up the steps into my house that was absent of the police cruiser, I began my work in the kitchen, trying to think of all things other than the sparkling green eyes that haunted me and my conscience. Surprisingly, it was not as hard as I thought it would be, and the evening passed speedily.

Steams from different pots and pans made my eyeliner smudge around my eyes and my neck moist with sweat. The door opened to reveal the police cheif that I knew as my dad. He dropped his hat on the table and hung his coat on the rack by the door.

"Hey Bells. Something sure smells good. What do you have brewing over there?" His intrigue was no less than what I had hoped for.

"Your favorite." I answered.

"Which one?"

"All of them." He sighed deeply; I didn't like where this was going. Things have been getting shakier with Charlie at the start of my sophomore year.

"What do you want, Bells?" He sat heavily into the red couch that occupied the living room.

"What do you mean, Dad? I am just cooking dinner you don't have to accuse me of..." His irritated voice interrupted me.

"I know you well enough to know that you cook all this stuff when you want something. You're not getting a car, not until you stop getting to class late."

"Dad, I''m not like that, you don't know me..."

"So you don't want a car then?" His sound was worsening.

"Well, I do, but that's not what..."

"See? I am not stupid, Bella. You have changed, I've seen it ever since you moved up here from Phoenix before you were in eighth grade." I could not comprehend what he was telling me, or what the was accusing me of being. I simply stood in shock for the second time that day."Look, Bella. You were a small fish in the ocean in Arizona, and here you became a big fish in a small pond. It's understandable why you would be popular, but you can be popular without being stuck up."

"How am I stuck up?" This infuriated me, what right did he have to say that to me, his only daughter?

"I hear about how you treat people sometimes, all the girls are terrified of you and Alice and Rosalie. I may not go to your school but my friends' kids do, and I don't like what I hear."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe those people spread rumors because they're jealous of us?" I screamed at him. After all the work I had done, he was not going to win this fight.

"That is what I mean. Listen to yourself, Isabella Swan. Because I won't anymore."

He left me there stunned, in the kitchen surrounded by burning food. He couldn't be right, I mean, I knew who I was. He couldn't be right. Could he?


	6. Revolution and Resolution

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Twilight or these characters: Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, Bella, Carlisle, and Esme. I do own the clownfish, however.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 6- New Skin

With great effort and careful steps, we drew closer to the emergency room. Jasper's balance had gradually gotten better, but his confusion still lingered. A tired-looking nurse wearing rubber-duck scrub squashed out her cigarette on the ground and jogged over to us, her ponytail bobbing side to side as she approached.

"Here, let me help you two." She said as she stepped between us for support. Ducking from her arm, I politely declined.

"I'm fine, just him, he's a little off-balance." She nodded and guided my friend into the waiting room where she sat us down in the faded green chairs next to the fish tank, which caught Jasper's eye.

"Hey, Edward look! Fishies!" He smacked me on the shoulder as he pointed to the bubbling tank. "Ooo look at this one! Oh, it's a clown fish! I love clown fish..." I drowned out his childish remarks and walked up to the window that revealed part of the nurse's station. A Latina woman sat comfortably in her chair while scribbling some notes onto post-it notes and sticking them onto her computer monitor.

"Can I help you?" She asked. A stethoscope hung around her neck on top of her maroon scrubs, mixing with her dark hair that waved around her shoulders.

"Yes, I need to see Dr. Cullen, please." I answered as I began to fill out a form for myself and for the fish-watching Jasper. The nurse looked at me strangely and asked why it was Dr. Cullen I wanted to see.

"He's my dad, and, um..." How would I word this right so that they would have no choice but allow me the doctor I had asked for. "well, you see my friend over there? The one staring at fish?" She leaned over the counter and shook her head at his stupidity. He had gotten out of his chair and was walking around the fish tank stalking the terrified clown fish that was doing everything it possibly could to avoid him.

The nurse, whose tag read 'Nurse Esperanza' shook her head and bit her lip to avoid laughing as I shook my head in embarrassment. "His name is Jasper, and he has a slight phobia of needles, and doctors, and hospitals too for that matter." I lied. "He knows my dad and I think he will be more comfortable with him than anyone else." I could tell she was mentally debating if she should not just send us to the first available doctor, and I spat out another lie. "Believe me, it's for your own good." That would work. Jasper was acting like a lunatic, and I was sure she would have no trouble believing this last statement.

"Of course." She said with a smile. "Just fill out this paperwork for you and...Jasper, and I will page Dr. Cullen."

"Thank you."

After forcing Jasper back into his seat, I interrogated him about his medical history. When I thought I knew everything there was to know about Jasper Whitlock, I now knew his blood type, family history, that he had no allergies and was slightly claustrophobic. It had been like pulling teeth to distract him from the aquarium and answer the numerous questions.

"Dr. Cullen will see you now." Nurse Esperanza called. "I assume you know where it is?" I nodded and led my friend down the hall that looked eerily similar to the setting of the source of our visit. We passed doctors that jogged from room to room, their white tennis shoes squeaking and their green scrubs brushing against themselves and their white coats blowing with the wind they created. My father stood outside his office with a calm, yet worried expression on his face readable only to me. He was an island of serenity in a sea of panic.

"Hello Edward, Jasper." Jasper bowed his head and saluted like I had seen a soldier do in a picture in one of his many Civil War books. My dad chuckled and looked at me with a strange look on his face.

"Head injury."

"Ah." he replied. He had never seen Jazz act like this before, and hopefully never would again.

He sat us me down on the paper-covered bed and I nearly had to push Jasper into a chair, for he swayed when he sat upright on the backless bed. He checked me out first so that I could stabilize and keep control of my friend later. His nimble fingers worked their way around the bruised wound, tucking my hair behind my ear. Cotton swabs dabbed at my face, removing the dried blood from it. Testing my swollen eye with a light, his finger touched the side of my nose, making me howl in pain.

"OOOOWW! DAD!" I yelled.

"W-w-what happened?" Jasper stood out of his chair looking for a fire or burglary.

"Sit down, Jazz. It's nothing."

"Didn't sound like nothing." he grumbled under his breath as he obeyed my command.

"Well, Edward. Sounds to me like you have a broken nose there." Great. Just what I needed. Graduation was a mere two weeks away, and the last thing I wanted was to be swollen in the yearbook photo of the class. I whined aloud, and knew what had to be done. "Hold still, son." Grimacing, I tensed my neck as his fingers pressed firmly on my nose. "Ready? 1-2.."

"Just do it already, Dad."

"3!" Screaming, the halls outside the small room echoed with my pain. My hands shook and my stomach rolled. I folded my arms tightly across my chest and winced in the throbbing pain. The worst part of it, however, was the sound of the crack embedded in my memory as he spoke the last number. He taped up my nose and cheek, and I braced myself with Jasper's weight.

Carlisle checked his eyes with the same light, he listened to his heart beat and lungs, and had taken his blood pressure. All was normal except for the bump in back of his head. It had only bled for a few moments, leaving the scarlet liquid dry in his hair. Carlisle wiped it off, and declared that he was as normal as he had been before and it was merely the shock that left him disoriented.

We were on our way out the door when my father spoke once more.

"Well, Jasper. My shift is already over and I can drive you home if you'd like."

"Uh, my parents won't be home for a while, if it's alright it might be better if I am not alone." He answered, slowly becoming aware of his confusion. My dad looked at me and I answered for him.

"Sure, come home with me. My mom's making lasagna." The smell of my mother's cooking always appealed to my friend, and she was overjoyed with having someone new to cook for, along with the new compliments. We walked down to the pharmacy to buy a new bottle of Tylenol when my father whispered in my ear.

"You talk to the principal about this?" He asked, knowing fully well what had happened.

"Emmett Tucker got four days suspension." I replied. He didn't ask any more about the matter, and knowing my mother would want to know all the details after we drove Jasper home, I was in no rush to retell the brawl.

As soon as we got in the door, the fresh smell of lasagna filled our nostrils and soothed our withered souls. Esme rushed up to greet us when our condition distracted her.

"Oh my god, are you two alright?" She asked, checking over my face.

"We'll talk about it later, honey. They're fine; I checked them over myself. You have no reason to worry." Her gaze flickered back between Carlisle and myself, but after seeing my friend standing awkwardly to the side she changed the subject.

"Well, how about some hot cocoa, then?" She walked off to the kitchen as my father whispered in her ear only loud enough for me to hear it.

"The Tucker kid, four days suspension. He's fine, trust me. Now, how about that wonderful smell..." My mother smiled with his remark. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and I believe that can be true, but I also believe that the way to a woman's heart is to tell her just how fantastic her cooking really is. I could not help but smile at their love, for it had not faded in their twenty-year marriage, something about as rare as a Giant Panda in the wild-you have to look so hard to find it, but it is worth seeing the creature in all it's might in the end.

With fresh ice held to our faces for the third time today, we sat on the back porch, looking at the woods as the sun crept behind the horizon line that was hidden by the forest that formed my backyard. A tire swing hung from a thich branch, as did a small swing from another. The dense green created our view as Jazz broke the silence.

"This has to end, man." He said after inhaling and exhaling deeply.

"What do you mean?" I questioned. He looked at me, then turned away to face the trees once more.

"This" he said while pointing to my face and his head. " all of this. I'm sick of this, Edward, and I know you well enough to know that you do to. This _has_ to change." My anger surfaced.

"It won't ever change." I responded quietly.

"How do you know that? Have _you_ ever tried to change? Maybe because you're waiting for everyone else to see you differently, you refuse to _make_ them see you differently."

"I can't change how people see me, Jazz. You don't know what you're saying, anyway." I growled. He rolled his eyes and answered.

"Look, I know I might not know what I ate for lunch today or what we learned in English, but I know what I am talking about. Listen, things aren't going to change because you won't change. While you are waiting for the world to change, they are really waiting for you. It might work."

I turned toward him, switching the ice pack to my other hand. "How do you know that, huh? Have you ever tried?" He sat there calmly, taking all that I was throwing at him with tolerance as he always did with my defensiveness.

"I don't know. But there is only one way to find out." He had a point. Much as I hated to admit, he was utterly correct.

"So, Jasper. How do you suppose we go about doing this? _How _do we change?" He dropped his head, and he sighed once more.

"Edward, did I ever tell you about my mom's work?" I was unsure about his point, but it couldn't be good...

"Yeah, she works in Port Angeles and comes home late a lot. Why?"

"Well, my mom's a... well, she...Look. This is a last resource, ok? If there was any other way..." He began his signature rambling session.

"Jasper out with it."

"She's a stylist, ok? There you have it." This could not be what I thought it was. My rage bubbled to the surface as I struggled to keep my voice down.

"Are you serious?! You want us to get _makeovers_ Jazz? Makeovers are girl stuff, dude. I will not stoop to that level." He looked at me in a way that I knew there was no way we were getting out of this.

"Dude, in case you haven't already noticed, we just got beaten up by Emmett Tucker who nearly sent me into a coma without even any effort, and he left you with a broken nose bleeding all over the foreign language hallway. We can't get any worse, we are at that level." He was right. There was no sense in denying it, and for the facts he provided me with, no reason to either. "We have potential. Or at least, we can be better than this."

The time had come to make a revolution, and I had prepared for the moment all my pathetic life, but never would I have guessed the resolution could be found in Cosmopolitan or GQ. As we had learned last semester in history class, the American Revolution had been started to form their own government and secede from the brutalities of England, and that had in fact been the resolution they had searched for. This would not have any political importance, or perhaps any importance at all, but by revolting, Jasper and I might have a chance at peace, and maybe even days free from brutality.


	7. Point Of No Return

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. Well, some I do but not the important ones. _Sigh_

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 7- The Point of No Return

The gym was clamored with students; everywhere you looked girls were hugging each other and crying and guys were yelling as they tore through the doorways throwing papers everywhere. Notebook and binders filled the trashcans, locks were being taken off empty lockers and old sandwiches were being found in some. Last minute detentions were being filled, and windows had computer print-outs of student ID numbers beside their final grades. Some students screamed as they had B's or A's on their final exams, while other swam in the depression that was the promise of summer school or the lack of a diploma.

I myself had been laughing joyously with my two girlfriends as we chatted about our summer plans.

"Thank god our parents finally gave up on us being little kids again and let us vacation by ourselves for once." Alice said with exaggeration.

"Seriously! I was so afraid that I was going to rot here with my parents all summer!" Rosalie joined in.

The three of us had pooled our money, as well as the rich Mr. and Mrs. Hale/ Brandon's checking account and had a two-month jet set to the South of France to 'study abroad'. While we had signed up for this opportunity, the Hales and the Brandons were unaware that their daughter and myself were registered as being eighteen, allowing us to roam wherever we wanted and skip boring museum trips without being hassled about it. It was set, the tickets had been purchased and hotel room reserved and paid for.

"I would not have survived an entire summer stuck with Charlie." I said as I glossed my lips.

"Well, you know, Baby Bella, there are some pretty hott guys over there in France." Rosalie cooed.

"Yeah, Bells. For once, you might actually have your heart stolen." The two of them chimed together as they teased about my lack of man-candy.

"C'mon you guys, we're going for tans and shameless flirting, not for marriage proposals." I whined.

"God, no. Who wants to get married? Ugh." Rose replied with disgust in her voice. We fixed our hair and make-up in front of our locker-mirrors for the last time as sophomores.

"So what time is Emmett's party, Rose?" The pixie asked for no reply. Rosalie had begun her signature make out session with Emmett once more. We cringed and waved as we headed toward the yellow Porsche in the parking lot. The two spaces next to the canary-colored sports car were empty as they usually were. It was abnormal that the new drivers were brave enough to risk scratching the Italian car. We slid into the black-leather interior and I took command of the radio dial.

"So what are you wearing tonight?" I asked. Alice never attended any social function, or any function for that matter, without looking as if she belonged on the cover of Vogue. She began to babble about the new halter top and jeans she had bought on our last trip to Seattle and how she felt so much taller in stiletto heels when a rabbit jumped in front of the speeding vehicle we were in. "Alice!!"

She slammed her tiny foot onto the brake, making my seat belt cling onto my chest and sending my head forward. We sat up and took deep breaths as the rabbit hopped away.

"Thanks a lot, Bugs." she said. The pixie-like girl had a habit of associating woodland creatures with cartoon characters, adding another trait that made her seem utterly chipper and cute. Recovering, we sat in the middle of the road. A loud honk made me squeal in shock. "Sorry, there was a rabbit..." the honk was echoed again as Alice apologized out the window. She flipped the car behind us the bird, and as I looked in the mirror in the sun visor to brush my hair I was made aware of the identity of the driver behind us.

The green van that was normally parked on the opposite end of the school lot had taken over the left lane and sped ahead of us with its exhaust wheezing.

"Alice! You know you gust flipped off Mike Newton, right?"

"Oh crap!" We erupted into giggles when another car honked behind us. "Chill! I'm going, i'm going." she yelled out the window, this time sticking her entire head out. My stomach cramped up in laughter as she gunned the Italian engine. Our hysterics ended and our conversation focused back to the party later that night.

"So tell me, what am _I _wearing tonight?" In the three years that I had been best friends with Rose and Alice, I was still deemed fashionista in training and could never seem to keep track of the styles my two friends provided me with. The two had forever rescued me from a t-shirt, jeans, converse and hoodies, however, and for that I was grateful. With the help of their advice, the three of us were always coordinated, made-up, and primped to please. In the course of these years, I had gone from nobody in Phoenix to a somebody in Forks, Washington.

Pulling up to Alice's house, it suddenly hit me that we were now officially _juniors_. Sure, it had made more of an impact after Freshman year as we ascended up the food chain, but it would only be two more years from today that I would graduate from Forks High School, and a small pang hit me in the chest. What if none of my friends and I got accepted to the same school? I would be forced to be the new girl once more.

Alice sensed my sudden anxiety, as she always did.

"What's wrong, Bella?" she asked with concern in her dark eyes.

"Nothing." I lied. She knew as well as I that I was a terrible liar, and there was no way of getting around that. She tilted her head and put her hands on her hips, commanding me with her eyes to spill the reason for my nervousness. "It just hit me that in two years, we're going to be in college, that's all."

Still inside her car, she reached over the stick shift and hugged me tightly.

"Nothing is going to change, Bella. We will go to the same school, I assure you. Even if it is a community college, we will be together. Nothing is going to change. Just the three of us, well except for when Rosalie is making out with Emmett or someone else." We giggled at that thought; before Emmett Rosalie had always been sucking on some guys lips. "Come on inside, we'll make some tea and i'll do your hair and makeup."

Upstairs in the bright-pink plush bedroom, I was practically duct-taped into a black, swivel chair in front of three mirrors and a cup of tea in my hand. Staring back at my ever-changing reflection as Alice pulled, curled, straightened and re-curled and tucked my hair in various patterns, we gabbed about the various people (mostly guys) that we would meet in Cannes.

"So, Alice. We've known each other for three years now, what would be your ideal guy? Like, long-term, not an Abercrombie model." I said, knowing what her quick answer would be- the guy on the giant picture inside one of her favorite clothing stores. She was lost in thought for a few moments, and her voice lowered to a serious tone.

"Well, I guess he would be...tall. Yes, he would be tall, and strong, but so gentle you would never know how strong he really was." She paused, going over the mental man in her mind.

"What color is his hair? What about his eyes?" My interrogation sparked a glimmer in her eyes.

"He would have blonde hair, I've always had a thing for blondes." My friend smiled and began to wind her fingers in my hair as she said this. "And light eyes, like blue or green or something. He would be caring, and whenever I felt a little down he would wrap his arms around me and tell me everything would be ok." She sighed dreamily, and continued."I'm not really sure what else, but when he looks into my eyes, he gets this look that tells me that he loves me, and always will."

Alice was frozen in her fantasy, when suddenly a thin line of spoke rose up from the curling iron that had my hair wrapped around it.

"ALICE!!" Waking from her daze, she jumped and quickly pulled the gold-colored rod from my hair that was now so tightly curled that it bobbed at the base of my scalp instead of falling to my shoulders as did the other locks. She groaned, and reached for the straightener to fix the rebellious curl. The evening passed without event, and before I knew it, I was dressed and ready to go. We promised Rose we would meet her at the party, and so we took off in the canary Porsche we had came in.

The Tucker house was bursting at the seams; all that could be seen in the windows were students dancing and partying the stresses of finals away. Walls buzzed with music, and numerous cars were parked on the shoulder of the road. Some of the vehicles were familiar to me from the school parking lot, while others were of higher class and were belonging to people unknown to me or Alice. Parking behind a silver BMW, we flashed our mirrors in front of our faces one last time, adjusting various straps and buckles, and were stepping out of the sports car.

_Whii, woooo._ Boys whistled as we emerged with our low-cut tops that left little room for the imagination. My skinny jeans brushed against the other as we walked past them without sparing a glance, as we always did. Slowing myself to my friend's pace, we let ourselves through the door and into a fog of blaring rap music and swaying bodies grinding against each other. Stretching my neck above the crowds, I searched for Rosalie and Emmett.

I lead Alice through the crowd where her limited height also limited her vision. In a far corner next to a lamp, Rose and the football star were in an embrace, squeezing each other with their arms wrapped tightly around the other. We waited around the corner, giving them the privacy they deserved. Before that moment, I had never seen the couple touching without their lips sucking on the others. The strange action surprised the two of us, and we looked at each other in shock .

Contemplating the change in their relationship, we glided through the crowd and snapped open a couple of sodas from the ice bucket, listening to some kids complain about there being no alcohol. While Emmett could be a bully, he still had some morals left. A flash of blonde hair appeared out of the crowd to reveal a beaming Rosalie.

"Hey girls!" She greeted us cheerfully.

"Hey Rose." We chimed.

"So, what was that all about over there? You two seemed pretty...intense." Alice said with a grin on her small face. The blonde looked flustered, but could not break her smile.

"Emmett said he loved me." Shock was present on our faces. "And I told him I loved him too." How could they be in love? How would they even know what that felt like? My friends hugged each other and squealed as they gushed about the details. I remained to the side, folding my free arm across my ribcage as I sipped from my soda. I knew I should be happy for her, as I had been with all her other boyfriends, but none of them every loved her, or at least, they never said anything about it.

I had never felt lonely, even without a man. I did not realize though, how lonely I truly was at that moment. This was the first time I ever felt disconnected from my friends, and myself. I had been stripped away, sanded down to the bare core that had been painted over by my supposed independence. It was then that I knew that a boyfriend was not what I wanted. I wanted to be loved, and to have someone to love, but that prospect seemed far away from where I stood, screaming in a sea of people. It was then I had decoded the meaning of Charlie's cruel words- I had changed. The only problem I foresaw was that because I had lost who I had originally been, there was no feasible way of returning. I feared that I was past the point of no return.


	8. Nothing To Lose

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters pertaining to Twilight. If I did, that would be awesome, but sadly I don't.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 8- Nothing To Lose

"Jasper, I can't do this, I can't I can't I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't go through with it."

"You know, Edward, you're my best friend and all, but sometimes you can be a real stubborn-ass." Jasper's comment surprised me, for it was rare that he cursed, and especially at me; I knew I irritated him on occasion, and that this was one of those times. Though I had previously agreed to his absurd idea, I was having second thoughts. It would be embarrassing enough to ask my best friend's _mom_ to make us over, but it would be far more humiliating to have to actually be poked and prodded with various tools of beauty.

Nearly pushing me up the steps, my captor gave me a gentle, yet firm push on my back into the small house that had lured me away from the library that had previously occupied all of my time. My rusted piece of tin lay on its side on the small patch of lawn that made a green, fuzzy spot next to the cement driveway. Stepping through the wooden door frame, my heart began to pound relentlessly in my chest sending more blood to my healing face.

My nose had healed with the best possible result; it remained straight and did not appear to have any bumps on it. The bruising had faded almost in its entirety, leaving only a light yellow hue to my cheek and eyelid. Unfortunately, after two weeks of ice and lowering my blood pressure, my wounds did not heal enough to inspire me to attend the day when the class photo was being taken. Due to the fact that I would refuse to appear, Jasper had refused as well, saying the head wound he had suffered made his head swollen, including the front and was embarrassed by it. He later told me the truth, saying that he did not feel right taking the picture without me.

Entering the living room, Mrs. Whitlock greeted us with a wide smile on her face.

"Hi guys! How was your last day of school? Was it exciting?" She ran up to us and hugged us both, and then began fixing Jasper's shirt which apparently was not hanging right.

"Well, you know. Same old, same old." My friend answered for us as I stood awkwardly with trembles moving up and down my spine. My face was already reddening from the proposition Jazz and I were about to make.

"Oh, I don't believe that! My baby boy is a junior! Seems like it was only yesterday that you were in diapers!"

"Mom, pleeeease. Not in front of Edward..." Jasper pleaded.

"That's because it was." I added, teasing Jasper who glared at me and sat me down at the kitchen counter where his mom was scribbling on a notepad by the refrigerator. In front of us, Mrs. Whitlock placed two soda cans which we immediately accepted. Our thirsts were quenched, and my nerves were shot from nervousness.

"Calm down, dude. It will be fine, I mean, it's my mom for god's sake." I looked at him with evil eyes.

"How would you feel if you were asking Esme for a makeover?"

"I see your point." I sipped my soda with the confidence that he now understood my predicament."So, how do we go about doing this?"

"Just let me do all the talking." I did not protest his plan. His mother hung up the phone and walked toward us.

"So, Jasper. What's all this about?" Jazz had probably told her to get home early that day because he needed to talk to her about something. Great.

"Well, mom. You know how you keep saying I need a haircut and new clothes and stuff? Um, Edward's mom has been saying the same thing too, and we were wondering if..."

"Oh my god, you want me to make you over? I have never been so excited! I have wanted to do this for so long! And Edward, you too! Oh, there are so many things to arrange! First, the hair has got to go..." she said as she looked over my appearance that was no better than shabby. "And your glasses, well, you're not opposed to contacts, right? And the clothes, well, we can fix that. Are you sure your parents won't mind?" She said after her analysis.

What would Esme and Carlisle think of it? I had already told them about our endevour, and about the amount it may cost, and with their excitement and surprise, were happy to oblige. How would they react when I returned home? How would _I_react to my future reflection? Suddenly, I thought about something my Chemistry teacher had told me months before Jasper had even moved to Forks. I did not recall what his exact words were, but I did figure out what they meant, and it was then that I had no regrets about what Jasper and I were about to do.

"I already asked them, and they are very greatful to you, you have no idea." I replied, thinking about how my lengthy hair bothered my mother as well.

"It was about time we took a trip to Seattle...is this weekend okay? You could get your stuff from your house and spend the night here if you want Edward." I accepted the offer and Jazz and I began the trip back to the white mansion by the river.

Striding side by side, I found myself confessing to Jasper the more threatening, the terrifying reason that I was truly afraid of the horror we were about to endure. We were quiet for a long moment; a comfortable silence, not out of awkwardness, but I knew that any second now, my trembles would be exposed to my friend no matter what I did to restraining them. Inhaling deeply, I knew that he was aware that my troubles were suddenly about to be laid out to him as he did the same.

"Jazz..." I started with hesitance. "Jazz, what if this doesn't work?" He looked at me with confusion in his eyes, though he comprehended every word spoken by me.

"What do you mean? What could go wrong? It's not as if my mother will take us to the wrong people or anything." Suspicion was readable in his voice.

"I mean, what if this doesn't make a difference? What if everything returns to be the way we left them, or even worse with our--er, my stupidity?" Jasper contemplated this, and his serene, ocean eyes were searching for answers in the far away place they found themselves in.

"I don't know, Edward. But what other choice did we have?" Thinking he had finished his sentence, I had opened my mouth to speak when he silenced my thought. "When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose." The doubt that had stifled my every breath had shed itself; weight peeled from the exterior of my skin freeing me at last of the cynicism and negative thoughts that kept me shackled to my current existence.

"Thanks, Jasper."

"For what?" He replied dully; it was if he always somehow knew how people felt.

"For everything." Silence rang through the forest, but as the snaking river made its existence known, we were warped back to the purpose that drew us here.

Entering through the back door, we found my parents sitting on the couch. My mother's hand was clasped tightly in Carlisle's while their tangled fingers rested on his knee. Esme's caramel hair draped over the shoulder she laid her head on. The two stared blankly at the TV with love in their sparkling eyes- clearly unrelated to the mindless program that shifted the colors on the monitor. As I watched this scene when time seemed at a standstill, the stifling tightness that I thought I had shed in the forest earlier had returned, only this time not in the right place. My previously wrenching stomach was calm, while my chest belt as if it had been punched from within, as if my own heart had slammed its side into my chest plate.

The voice of my father restarted my heart and erased the pang in my chest, even if only temporary, which I desperately hoped was not the case.

"Hello, Edward, Jasper." He twisted his head around to look at us, as did my mother. "What can I do for you?" What _could_ he do for me? Could he make the future weekend even a fraction less terrifying or humiliating? I doubted it.

"Um, Mom, Dad. Remember that uh- thing- I told you about earlier? Well, Mrs. Whitlock wants to know if it's alright if I spend the night at Jasper's house..." this was the part that was hard enough for me to swallow, no less having to tell my parents my friend's mom was taking me for an entire weekend to _Seattle_ to do god only knows what to me. "...and then she wants to take us to Seattle for the weekend to um, well, yeah." I still could not force out the words. Luckily, my parents were intelligent people and would get the hint.

Esme and Carlilse stared into each other's eyes for a moment, having a wordless debate among themselves. Surrendering, they put my racing heart at ease when they spoke their answer.

"If that is what you want, son." It wasn't what I wanted, but it was the _answer_ I wanted. Even if Jasper had to use physical force to drag me into whatever salon or store-and he probably would- I did not want them to say no. Strange, even for a freak like me.

After ascending the stairs, Jazz sat on my bed while I gathered up my things.

"How many days are we talking about, here?" I asked as I dug through my drawers that were overflowing with unfolded clothes and unmatched socks. The entire room that I occupied was a mess. My curtains were tacked crookedly above my window, my comforter more on the floor than the bed. Pillows were strewn around the mattress due to my sleepless nights spent tossing and turning. The computer on my desk was bulky and old, and the monitor served better as a second table than an actual electronic. The parts of the chaotic space that were not flooded with clutter were utterly pale and lifeless.

I could not help but think that this room suited me; a mess on the outside, that when cleaned up, would only prove to be dreary and plain.

"Uh, I guess including tonight...we'll probably come home on Monday." Great. Since when were weekends extended to Mondays? I growled under my breath and tossed a few pairs of clothing in my duffel bag. Not that I would need those clothes by Monday, anyway, but it made me feel better that I had them, at least.

Packed and ready to be whisked away to who knows where in Seattle, I said my goodbyes and was out the door once more to Jasper's house.

Jazz fell asleep long before I did. Between my four hours sleep, I tried with all my might to steer my thoughts from the certainly horrendous weekend ahead of me. Tossing and turning, I distracted myself with the peaceful breathing of my friend in the sleeping bag beside me. He was always so peaceful, so serene. Rarely was expression changed, and when it was, it was shyness tilting his head down and diverting his eyes to any other. The only time I had seen him frightened in any way was that fateful day that sent us to the hospital, when Emmett was staring him down. He had often told me he was scared, and while I saw it in his face, I did not see fear in his face. I saw the peace that came when speaking the truth.

I had seen it when he had suggested this idea in the first place. More importantly, I had seen it when he had said we had nothing to lose. Inhaling deeply, I drifted off to sleep with this last thought. _Nothing to lose. Nothing to lose. Nothing..._


	9. Change on the Horizon

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. All I own are the flight attendants and the clown fish. Great.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 9- Change on the Horizon

Sliding our boarding passes through the machine before any other passengers, the flight attendant greeted us and grinned with so wide a smile that you believed that her face was stuck that way. Continuing down the long, suspended hallway toward the plane, our footsteps were joined by the rolling of our suitcases. Never having been out of the country or even on a plane before, I had no idea what to expect. Rosalie strutted ahead of us in her black patent leather heels, dragging her Louis Vutton carry on behind her and a matching purse over her shoulder. Alice hung back with me, making sure I did not run back into the airport from which we came. She rubbed my back and smiled at me.

"It's going to be fine, Bella. You'll have fun, trust me. Besides, we're going to sleep most of the time anyways." Her short hair was pulled back into two spiky pigtails, and ditched her signature mini-skirt for a pair of gray skinny jeans. A sleek leather jacket hung over her shoulders, obscuring part of her designer t-shirt.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Alice." My jitters were eased, but not erased. I was not afraid of flying, or at least I did not think I was, but something still turned my stomach over like pancakes in a fryinig pan. I told myself it was normal to be nervous, and that it was just excitement. Still, it felt like there was something more important here, like something that would shape my entire future. I began to feel faint.

"What's the matter, Bella? Someone bleeding or something?" Haha very funny.

"It just- something just doesn't seem right." She looked at me with concern in her eyes.

"Like...something bad is going to happen?"

"Not really, just something...strange. Something with impact." She pondered this for a moment, and then reassured me with utter sincerity.

"Everything will be fine, trust me. I have a feeling. Trust me." I never went against her instinct; she always seemed to know what troubles or lack of which were to come.

"I trust you." We stepped through the threshold of the plane, and were greeted by more hyper flight attendants. We secured out carry-ons, and made ourselves comfortable in our over-sized seats. My fingers grazed across the numerous buttons, trying to comprehend their meaning. The plane that would carry us to France was bigger than I could ever imagine. Two separate stories housed the seats for the hundreds of passengers that were making their way onto the 777. My friends and I were seated at the nose of the plane, directly underneath the pilots who were warming up the four engines.

Rosalie sat in the single seat in the row in front of the aisle where Alice and I were ordering drinks before the ascent. Rose twisted her body toward us, sending her hair over her shoulder.

"Hey, do you two realize that in thirteen hours, we will be in _France_? Just to think that if we weren't persuasive, we would be at the coffee house in Forks!" I never missed that hole in the wall of a coffee place as much as I did at that moment.

"I know, right?" Alice chimed in.

"Yeah, awesome." I added weakly.

"Ooo, there's a phone! I'm going to call Emmett and tell him we're on the plane!!" Rosalie and Emmett had been closer than ever, making me green with envy and punching my heart with every 'I love you' they whispered.

We rolled out eyes at each other at her new obsession. My friend beside me began rifling through her bag, making herself comfortable as I stared out at the tarmac through my window. As I watched the various trucks pull luggage and technical equipment, I began to calm myself. _You're going to a place that people only dream of going. Consider yourself lucky._ Still, there was an emptiness I could not ignore, and I had no clue as to what it was. Just as I was immersed in my thoughts, the runway began to move, and the nose of the plane tilted toward the sky.

"We're in the air! We're on our way! Finally!" an exasperated Rosalie pointed out the obvious and then sank back into her seat with her iPod headphones jammed in her ears. Alice sipped from her ginger ale and tried to take my mind off things once again.

"So, the other night when you asked me what my perfect guy was?"

"Yeah, why?" I did not see the relevance in her question.

"Well, you never answered it." Great.

"You never asked." It was inevitable, but it was worth stalling. She tilted her head and shot a friendly glare.

"Well, I am asking _now_. Smart-ass." She mumbled the insult just loud enough for my ears to pick up.

"I hear that."

"You were supposed to." She said in a sing-song voice. "Quit stalling, just tell me and get it over with." Her pleading eyes sank into mine, and I could not deny her request. I exhaled deeply, and closed my eyes to picture the faceless man that I had imagined.

"Well, of course he would be sweet, but still manly. He would be a good guy, but still rough around the edges." That was all that I gave.

"C'mon, Bella. None of this mushy stuff, what does he look like?" Rosalie flipped her face toward us again, her eyes locked on mine.

"How did you..." How could she have heard us? She was one to talk about mushy.

"Had it on pause." an evil grin beamed across her face. "Well?" I was not getting out of this, not now. There was a witness, and a very intimidating witness to be exact.

"I don't really know. I haven't thought about it until now." Rosalie looked disappointed, while Alice looked intrigued.

"What color is his hair? His eyes? _Something_at least." The blonde was bored with my answer, I was sure of it. I stared out the window at the shrinking city, and a mysterious pair of us crept into my mind's eye. Who they belonged to, if anyone, I was not aware. It did, however, inspire my answer.

"Green. His eyes are green." Silence greeted me, and I searched for the origin of the melon-eyes that would not leave my thoughts. I stared out the window without a pause through the night. No words passed through my thoughts, only pictures. Yearbook photos of my classmates, of every stranger that stuck to my memory, every celebrity, slid through my brain as if on a reel, searching for a match to the brilliant eyes that were not staring at me, but at something else. Much as I stared into them, they would not look back. Similar to what I had done with so many others. I promised myself I would not overlook those who I considered to be lesser than I, and to the opposite, try to meet the glance of every male in the state of Washington.

A small sliver of orange sunlight broke through the horizon, awakening me from my thoughts. Sliding the window covering down, I glanced over to the sleeping girls nearby. Curled up in her blanket like a burrito, Alice slept with her blindfold shielding her brown eyes from the lights of the aisle floors. Her face was so peaceful, so serene. A hint of a smile even crossed her lips. I sighed, and looked at the blonde hair that spilled over the armrest.

Turning my TV monitor toward me, I switched to a mindless cartoon, then to a documentary, then turned it off and flipped through the Sky magazine lodged in the pocket of Rosalie's seat in front of me. Flipping through the pages, I could not help but wonder if the strange pair of eyes that haunted me were the key to the hole that grew inside my chest, the raw edges of my soul that had salt rubbed into the wounds whenever actors kissed in a movie, or any mention of Romeo and Juliet.

"Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. We will be beginning our descent into Cannes, France in a few hours, and breakfast will be served shortly. Thank you." The pilot's voice rang through the cabin, waking the sleeping passengers.

"Just how I always wanted to be woken up-by a strange man's voice over an intercom. Fantastic." The grouch before me grumbled.

"Morning already? I wonder if they have orange juice..." Alice was fully awake and pulling the mask off her face as she wondered about the meal. "How long have you been up?" She questioned me.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Really? You'd better get some coffee. It is going to be a long day."

"Ughhhh I hate you right now, you little pixie!" The grouch spoke again.

Our breakfasts were served and eaten, and our mirrors nearly shattered at our appearances. Our eyes sagged with exhaustion, and our hair stood as if we had rubbed a balloon on our heads. One by one we made our way to the bathroom to fix ourselves up, with little improvement. Whining and groaning with our un-satisfying looks, the pilot announced our descent. The sun broke through the monotonous night; a change on the horizon.

I would not be stepping off this plane in just any place, I would be somewhere new, somewhere exotic. Somewhere miles away from the eyes I longed to see.


	10. Not Believing Just Quite Yet

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. You didn't think I actually did, did you?

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 10- Not Believing Just Quite Yet

My hands shook and my face had shed a layer of color, leaving me more pale than usual. I found myself fidgeting relentlessly, unable to sit still or concentrate on anything for more than a moment. Though I did not allow myself to think of the terrors that would face me in the near future, I could think of nothing else. The entire drive up to Seattle had been a torture chamber for not only me, but Jasper as well. The nervousness seemed to radiate off of my skin and sink into him, spreading my worries to my friend without intention. Never before had someone told me to calm down so many times in one day.

We had left on Saturday in the early hours of the morning. Apparently, Jasper and his mother were morning people. Before the sun had even risen, while I pretended to sleep my friend was dressed and shook me awake. The hour that followed the sunset was hazy to me; all that I could recall was the shakiness that resided in my uneasy body, and the smell of cinnamon rolls. Coffee had been thrust in my hand, and after I had drank it mindlessly, the fog cleared. The two of us sat in the backseat that was overflowing with bags and cases, only two of which were belonging to us. Mrs. Whitlock had not left one tool at home, taking two curling irons either. If her intent was to curl my hair, I planned to sue.

Jasper and I fought his mother for control of the radio-to her disadvantage, there was another dial in the backseat on the backside of the armrest. She surrendered, filling the car with the sounds of Linkin Park and Foo Fighters. Desperately trying to calm my nerves, Jazz tried to strike up conversations over the most random things- such as the origin of plaid, the other possible uses of silly putty, why silly string was invented, and if pizza was truly italian or american. It did not work. We pulled up to the hotel, and the valet took over the Audi.

Having just gotten settled in the room that had a door connecting to Mrs. Whitlock's, I was surprised and horrified to find that our first appointment was in a mere hour. First, we were due at a trendy hair salon, and not knowing how long _that_ would take, the rest of the schedule was unknown to us.

Being back in the car once more, we were headed to the salon, and my hands shook more violently than ever.

"Calm down, will you? You're freaking me out."

"Sorry Jazz."

Not a moment too soon, or too late, we stood in front of the frosted glass doors.

"Well, no time like the present!" Jasper's mother's chipper voice rang through my ears. The present. Right. Suddenly, a memory whisked back into my mind. Many months ago, before Jasper had even decided to move, my science teacher spoke about my lack of a life.

_"There are some things more important than the future."_

_"Like what?"_

_"Like the present."_

We entered the salon, and were instantly greeted by the receptionist.

"Oh, Mary Ann, so good to see you again! Is this your son?" Poor Jasper.

"Yes, this is Jasper. Isn't he handsome?" I found my revenge, and I did not even have to take part in it. All I had to do was watch.

"Mom..." My friend pleaded under his breath. The receptionist smiled and replied.

"Oh, he is darling! And shy, too." Jazz reddened and tilted his head to the floor, much like he had on his first day of school. His shoulders slumped, and slinked back behind my shoulder. Rarely did he hide as much as he was right now. This had gone far enough, I decided. "And who is this, Mary? I thought you only had one son."

"He's not mine, he's a friend of Jasper's. I am just borrowing him." Now I knew what Jazz had to go through when I was not around. Trying to take the glaring spotlight off of his flushed face, I introduced myself.

"Yeah, hi. I'm Edward."

"Well, it's good to have you here, Eddie." Well, my goal was achieved, but I heard Jasper's giggling behind me. I elbowed him and told him to shut it. He didn't. The receptionist smiled and pointed us into the direction of our destination.

Two black, swivelling chairs awaited us. There were a few other empty seats, but what gave them away as ours were the facts that this pair of seats were secluded from the rest, and the mirrors were covered by a black, vinyl blind. Apparently this was common practice. Two hair stylists were standing next to the leather chairs, both with smug grins on their faces. One of them had overly-tanned skin, giving him an orange tint. His streaked blonde hair was gelled into controlled spikes that stuck out above his forehead. The artificial look to him made his electric blue eyes seem so bright that one may think that he was wearing contacts in disbelief that he was happy enough with one part of his appearance to leave them in their natural state.

Shiny black shoes peeked out from the bottom of his blue-faded jeans, which was covered in the front mostly by a black apron that had a sheen underneath the bright lights. The white logo of the studio was printed on the top part of the apron. A white button-down designer shirt was rolled up to his elbows, and had the top two buttons undone, leaving part of his chest exposed. The other man leaned against the wall next to the covered mirror with his arms folded across his chest. He too wore shiny black shoes, but also wore gray skinny jeans and a black button down shirt, rolled up and partially unbuttoned at the top as the other man did. His slick black hair was greased back, and his too-shiny lips formed in a half-grin. Their stances told me that they were not the kind of guys you picked up girls with.

With the utmost flamboyance, they hugged Jasper's mother and twirled her identical blonde hair in their fingers.

"So, Mary, where are our next victims?" If only they knew how literal that was.

"Greg, Andy, this is my son, Jasper, and his friend Edward." Greg, the one with the black hair looked me up and down, making me very uncomfortable. Andy analyzed my friend with his hand on his chin. The pair walked over toward us, and signalled for us to turn in a circle. Though they were only support to mess with our hair, they did a very thorough inspection over the rest of us too. Jasper's cheeks turned from pink to red once again, and seemed to fold up inside himself. I felt bad for him, there was no way that I was bailing him out of this one. We were in the same boat this time.

After what seemed like eons of unease, we were lead to the chairs. Mrs. Whitlock chatted with them about the style she wanted us to have, terms unknown to me flew between them. Names of products and colors and cuts rang through the vacinity, making me dizzy.

Black cloaks were draped over us, and Jasper began to feel my stress.

"Edward, why? Why did they have to cover up the mirrors?" I shrugged and we looked at each other's hair, wishing we were mind-readers. The tangled, twisted, lengthy blonde hair of my friend was even more a mess than usual. Hair hung down half of his neck, ending in a twisted, uneven curl at each strand. I could only imagine what he saw; strangely colored red-brown hair hanging greasy in my eyes, and my cheap new glasses hanging crookedly on my nose. They had their work cut out for them, that was for sure.

"I guess they don't want us to see what we look like until after we're done."

"I guess."

"My mom told you that Esme faxed in your prescription for contact lenses, right?" Esme did what??

"No, she failed to mention that! There is a reason that I do not own contacts, Jazz. I do not want to stick fingers in my eye! It's unnatural!"

"Well, too bad. Esme sent them to our house after we left. Express mail. My mom has them in her purse. She does not want you coming out of here wearing glasses, or me either for that matter."

"Does she piss you off all the time like she does now, or is this a one-time deal?" He gave me a look and rolled his eyes. "Sorry, man."

"Yeah, thanks."

"Okay, Jaspies, let's get these birds evicted and their nests brushed out!" Bird's nests, very funny. Andy had begun by trying to pull his fingers, unsuccessfully, through the blonde hair.

"Um, it's Jasper." He corrected meekly.

"Well, sorry, _Jasper_. Weird name." Greg came over to me, and looked all around my face.

"Well, let's get started, shall we Eddie?" Why was it so hard to call people by their real names?

"Actually, it's just Edward."

"You too are touchy about your names, aren't you?" I shrugged, and stared at the black shield in front of me. He lifted my hair with his tools, seeming as if he was terrified of touching it. My hair wasn't going to bite him or anything, much as I wanted it to. He led me over to the sink while Jasper cringed in pain as Andy dragged a wire brush through his hair. Poor guy. Never seemed to get a break.

"Ugh, what shampoo do you use?"

"Umm, soap." Greg looked at me strangely at this comment. "I never really cared about it."

"Shocker." He said, to which I rolled my eyes. Greg was starting to get on my nerves.

Shampoo was rubbed and rinsed through my hair, as well as other numerous products. His fingers massaged my scalp, relaxing my nerves for a few minutes. He had taken off my glasses, upon which I closed my eyes. After I opened my lids, Greg had a look of shock on his face.

"What?"

"Nothing, just, your glasses hid your eyes before, that's all." Strange. I had never thought anything of them before. Not as if anyone else cared about them, or even remembered them.

Scissors snipped their way through my hair at a frightening pace as Jasper's hair was soaked in the water as mine had. For once, I was glad for the absence of the mirror; I did not want to see the inches of bronze hair falling to the marble floor.

"Hmm, I wonder..." This worried me. What was he planning to do to my cropped hair now? I had never cared about it before, but I found myself worrying with every snip and comb-through. He pushed the small, rolling table that had foil squares and a bowl of thick mixtures to the side, and reached for the blow dryer. I had guessed that he planned to highlight my hair, and from what I knew he had not planned to dry my hair first. The heated air blew my hair around, warming my newly exposed neck and forehead. He pulled his fingers through my dry hair, weaving waxy product through it.

"Mary, take a look at this. Have you seen this hair color before? I mean, when it was greasy you couldn't tell, but I have never seen anything like it." I knew it was strange, but never thought it monumental.

"Hmm, you're right. Don't put any dye in it, it's beautiful the way it is. Beautiful work, Greg." Thank god for Mary. The less time I spent in this chair, the better. The blow dryer beside me buzzed and hummed as the blonde hair it dried flew this way and that. The blue eyes that I was so familiar with were wide in terror. His hair was cut as mine had been, and his once lopsided locks were orderly and straight. The sleek golden hair that had once stuck up all over the top of his head now hung down above over his ear, giving his shy face a sort of edge to it.

Twisting out of my chair, I found myself standing face-to-face to Mrs. Whitlock. In her hand was a small, white plastic box with two circular clasping lids on top. Contact lenses. Fantastic. She nearly pushed me down into the chair once more, and forced a handheld mirror in my hand.

"Edward, are you near sighted or far sighted?" Mrs. Whitlock asked me.

"Um, near sighted. Why?" She allowed me to look in the mirror, knowing fully well that I could not see well enough to see my hair, only my eyes. Showing me how to put the clear lenses in my eyes while I cringed, I prepared myself to commit the act. After fifty tries of trying to peel open my blinking eyes, success. Whipping the mirror away from my clear sight, Jasper's mother messed up my hair with her hand, and walked away, leaving me with Jasper.

Andy was finished blow drying and was weaving a product that was supposed to make your hair shiny through his hair.

The stylist sighed, and spoke to Jazz.

"Well, there you are. All you have to do in the morning is use the shampoo I told Mary about when you shower, and brush it. Now, get out of here."

Somehow, I thought he might not be kidding. We were unaware of where we were being taken to next, but if it was as eventful as this, I did not think I would be able to survive. The three of us walked out of the salon, and when the receptionist called my name and waved, I caught a foggy glimpse of my reflection in the frosted glass. Someone very different stared back at me, someone who had tousled bronze hair and shocking green eyes. The image was so unclear, that I refused to believe that person in the glass was me. Just a few more days, and I would be back home in Forks, hiding from my classmates. Still, though my parents would be waiting for my return, it felt as if something important was still missing.

The Revolution was on its way to being completed, all we could do now is hope that it would be the Resolution. And, hopefully, the key to the hole in my heart.


	11. Taking This Seriously

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. No really.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 11- Taking This Seriously

We had just left the hair salon, and were yet again in the silver Audi. Jasper was shaking his head and his newly straight hair every few seconds.

"Jazz, you're stressing _me_ out. It looks really good, relax. Trust me." He looked at me and then my hair.

"Thanks. So does yours." I thanked him, and stared out the window. "Mom, where are we going?"

"The Seattle Mall." My heart sank. Clothes. I hated shopping for clothes. The shakiness in my hands returned, as did my jitters.

Walking past the food court, my stomach grumbled as delicious scents of Chinese food and lemonade swarmed the premises. We hadn't eaten since early this morning, and were in desperate need of nourishment. We sat ourselves down with trays of Panda Express, and dug into the steaming food without a second thought. While I chewed, my eyes scanned the vicinity. Teens around my age crowded the space; clusters of girls giggled and pointed to someone near to where I sat. Glancing away, I pondered what sort of clothes I was going to be forced into against my will.

After we threw away our food, Jasper's mom left us alone for a little while to let us talk before she pulled us through various stores and shops. Jazz had just taken a sip from his soda when I began to speak.

"Listen, Jazz. Sorry I was such a pain in the ass. Thanks." He looked at me, and an honest grin crept up his face.

"Don't worry about it. You're stubborn, but I know you would come around." I returned his smile, and we began a normal conversation. We spoke about the school year that had passed, and how excited he was that his picture would be in the yearbook this year. We talked about the various people that had fallen asleep in our classes, and what the teacher threw at them to wake them up. Between the two of us, we had seen erasers, paper balls, pencils, Expo pens, Sharpies, pens, paper clips, and even a white board eraser fly across the room to wake up the snoozing students.

Soon enough, too soon, for that matter, the blonde woman who I had come to fear returned. We spilled our trash into the trash can, and returned the red plastic trays to the basket. Before we had even walked fifty feet away from the food court, Mrs. Whitlock was forcing us into the store that we dreaded. Abercrombie and Fitch awaited us. Dark, black shutters hid the interior from the inside of the mall, making us completely unaware of the clothes that laid inside. Our arms were piled high with jeans and shirts of every sort.

Locking myself in the dressing room, I set the weighty clothes onto the bench and sorted through them. Piles of blue jeans, ripped and clean cut were spread out, and were remarkably, my size. How she had come across that information, I did not know, and perhaps, did not want to. T-shirts with the A & F logo spread across them were laid out and folded, hoodies in gray and blue were hung on wooden hangers, and leather belts were atop the jeans. Absentmindedly, I pulled on the first pair of jeans and yanked a navy-blue shirt over my head. After slipping the gray hoodie over my shoulders, I turned to face the floor-length mirror without thinking.

Someone other than myself stared back at me. He seemed about an inch taller than myself, and had freshly cut hair. The bronze mess was tousled deliberately, making it seem as though he had just gotten out of bed, and styled by the best in the world in one glance. His sharp jawline was more visible due to the shorter haircut, and his eyes were visible with the lack of glasses. He could not possibly be me, could he? This man was born to be on the cover of GQ, not living in a town like Forks, and to be the lowest on the food chain at that matter. Still petrified in shock, I slowly edged nearer to the mirror. Reaching out my hand, my fingers matched with his fingers. _My_ fingers.

The cheekbones that were hidden were now more pronounced, my nose, being free from supporting glasses, was stern and strong. The red dots that haunted my face for years were as painful as ever, and a certain weakness still lingered in my eyes, and I knew there was still work to be done. I also knew, however, that once these shields were lifted, I could be different. I, Edward Anthony Cullen, could change. How strange a thought. Still, behind the gossamer vulnerability that hung in the green orbs in front of me, there was a strange power, a strength, that could not be ignored. I tried to tell myself that it was the brightness of my eyes that gave that appearance, but I was unsuccessful. There was more to me than I had once believed.

Suddenly, a thud against the door to my dressing room awoke me from my daze.

"Edward!! Edward! Open up!" Jasper's frantic voice interrupted my thoughts. Becoming grounded, I opened the door to see my friend in a complete panic.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" He darted into my dressing room and looked in the mirror, his crystal blue eyes widening in his reflection. I had noticed the difference in my friend, but not as severely as I did at that moment. He was completely transformed, and we had barely begun.

"It's the same." The door began to shut as it was weighted to do so, and shoppers browsing the shelves looked at the two of us suspiciously. Leaning with my hand against the door, not allowing it to close with the two of us inside, I tried to calm him down.

"Uh, Jazz. People may get the wrong impression of us here, if you know what I mean."

"Sorry, I just, I just wanted to see if the reflection was the same."

"Why wouldn't it be the same? Do you think they taped a picture of you on the mirror before you came in that just happens to move when you do? Come on, dude, do me a favor, first, get out, and second, don't drink any coffee today, or ever again." He nodded, taking my reply as he should, and wandered back into his room. Getting back to the task at hand, I tried on the numerous pairs of clothing before me.

"Jasper, sweetie, let me in, I want to make sure your clothes fit."

"MOMMM!! No way! I am sixteen years old and an honor student, I think I can tell if something fits or not."

"Well, honey, I just want to make sure..."

"Mom! You're embarrassing me! Leave me alone!" Sweet, sweet revenge. He had charged into my room, and his mom tried to do the same.

His mother left the store to take a call, and we proceeded to the lengthy line at the register.

"Did Mommy make sure your clothes aren't too small, Jasper?" I cooed, teasing him.

"Shut up." Fair enough. Elbowing each other to pass the time, Mrs. Whitlock returned with her wallet in hand. Paying for Jasper's clothes, and then waiting for me to pay with the money Esme and Carlisle had given me, she then whisked us away to yet another store. The pattern cycled regularly; enter unwillingly, piles of clothes piled on top of us as we were guided to dressing rooms, Jasper's mother pestering him, and waiting in line to pay.

Bags filled our aching arms that had been covered with so many shirts and jackets. Logos swarmed around us; Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, Urban Outfitters, Guess, Lucky Brand, Diesel, and so many more that I lost count. Jeans, pants, shoes, socks, underwear ( I prayed for short term memory loss ), shirts both long sleeved and short, button downs, belts, hoodies, suit jackets, leather jackets, scarves, gloves, coats, belts, and sunglasses weighed down our muscles with impressive force.

"Just one last stop in the Cosmetic department." Jasper and I groaned, for we would have to walk through the perfume department. After our lungs were nearly shredded with potent, toxic smells, we were dragged to the counter at a skin care company. I knew where this was going. My eyes began to droop with the heaviness of tiredness, and without comment, added another bag to my arm that was filled with skin care kits. In one month, I was promised to have clear skin. All I cared about now was the plush bed that awaited me at the hotel room.

After we rescued the last bags from the Audi, Jazz and I lay with our limbs sprawled across the queen sized beds in our room. We were not alert enough to realize that our suitcases had been raided and re-packed as we slept. It was unsettling to imagine Mrs. Whitlock rifling through our luggage while we slept. It did, however, explain a lot about Jasper.

The next day was the same as the first, only with a completely different start. Jazz and I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, awestruck at the tens of bottles that lined the counter. We showered, and brushed our new hair just to put off this difficult task. Silently, we plucked two identical bottles from the mass and read the directions. Twenty minutes and four burning eyes later, the two of us had jumped over the skin care hurdle. The green, self-drying liquid stung my face and eyes when I had squirted it toward me on accident, was my least favorite so far. At least some good would come out of this, right? Tomorrow, we would be back in Forks, and I would still have an entire dresser, or more like floor, full of my old clothes, and that thought comforted me.

Hours of bags and clothes and electronics later, we passed out on our beds, blissful that we would have freedom tomorrow. We did not.

"Mom, Dad, i'm home." My parents emerged from the hallway that lead to my bedroom with evil smirks on their faces. Great. They were up to something, I knew it. They hugged me, and complimented my new clothes and hair and lack of non-designer glasses ( my new pair were clasped in a case in some bag ). "Not that I am not glad to see you guys again, but what have you done? I know you two well enough, might as well get it over with." They led me down the hall and ushered me into my once cluttered room. Clean. That was all that I saw.

My down comforter and pillows had been washed, fluffed, and organized. The clothes that had once littered my room were now in my dresser, and my stereo and pathetically small collection of Cd's that I had increased on our trip was scooted to the side, and my computer monitor cleared from debris. Or, at least, I assumed my clothes were in my dresser. I slid open the drawer to find it empty. I slid another, and found it empty as well, as were the rest.

"What did you _do_?"

"We know you well enough. We wanted to make sure this didn't go to waste, and donated your old clothes to make room for new ones, and asked a housekeeper to tidy your room for you. We figured it would be nice, a fresh start with a clean room. Keep it that way, please." Esme answered.

In disbelief, I moped toward my bathroom. I stared at my new reflection, still trying to comprehend it all. Perhaps this was what people had been telling me, my parents and my teacher. The present. This was what was important. I now had an understandable and reasonable hope that this would fix the situation. Jasper and I would have to wait until we went back to school to find out, but as he had said, we had nothing to lose. We did, however have everything to gain. Strange thought. Me gaining something other than a four point oh. If there was something I did know, it was that if this could inspire hope in someone like me, than it was worth taking seriously. And so, from then on, I did.


	12. Relentless, and Absolutely Wonderful

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. I wish. Really, I do.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 12- Relentless, Vengeful, and Absolutely Wonderful

Traveling back through the terminal we had originated from nearly a month and a half ago. This time, however, I was included in the giggles and happiness, and anxiety was absent from me. My ivory skin was slightly tinted from the French sun, and memories of warm beaches and long nights in the city filled my brain. Our suitcases were expanded, nearly bursting at the seams with souvenirs and unfolded clothes.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you girls, Emmett is picking us up, is that okay?" Ugh. Emmett. Was it so difficult to take a hundred dollar cab ride?

"Sure. Sounds great." I lied.

"Oh, Rose, please tell me he's picking us up in your car??" Alice whined. The height of Emmett's humongous Jeep was always an issue for her.

"Uhhh no. C'mon, Aly, do you really think _Emmett _can fit in my car? No. He's taking the Jeep. Don't worry, Bella and I will give you a boost, I am a cheerleader, after all." Alice tilted her head and stood with her hand on her hip.

"You're a flyer, how would you know how to lift someone up when you're the one being lifted? At least I took rock climbing classes..." The carpetted floor turned into marble as Rosalie began flirting into her phone. She lagged behind us while my shorter friend and I struck up a conversation.

"God, Bella. You are the only person I know who can go to the south of France and not get a crush."

"Maybe there's something wrong with my brain."

"I mean something I didn't already know." I elbowed her playfully as we approached the baggage claim. Sure enough, there was brawny Emmett on his tiny silver cell phone. He was the same as always, big and bulky, only, not quite as big as he had been when we had left...

"Oh my god. EMMETT!! What the hell have you done? What were you _thinking_?" Rose's fury raged at her boyfriend. His curly brown locks had been cut-no shaved off, leaving half a centimeter of spiky, dark hair. His wide grin remained on his smaller-looking head, giving his once frightening appearance a goofy side.

"What? I buzzed it! Do you like it?" Emmett pulled his hand over his head, as he did when he had hair.

"I can't leave you alone for one second!" She snarled. "You couldn't have left just a little bit of length, you had to shave it _all_ off??" This was not going to end well for the guy; Rosalie was someone that you would do anything and everything to please. She stormed toward him while his eyes were widening with the realization that he would not be allowed in her room while her parents were asleep anytime soon.

"Rosie, baby. You love me, right?" The blonde looked up at him, her anger beginning to fade. He put his arms around her waist, and held her close to his wide chest.

"Yes. Of course I love you, Emmie."

"And I love you. There is not one thing about you I would change..." He twirled a lock of her golden hair around his large finger."...but if you wanted to, I would support you, no matter what. This is just something you will have to get used to. Look, if it bothers you that much, i'll grow it back for you, alright?" Tenderness rang through his deep voice, soothing her rage.

"You would do that for me?" Rosalie's sugary voice entered her vocal chords, taking the place of the sharp, staccato screams.

"Course, I only did this because I thought you would like it." Without a word, she reached up on her tip toes and kissed him. Her hand clung to his neck, then reached up as her fingers grasped the air for curly locks. Pulling her lips from his, a look of disgust returned to her face.

"Oh, god Emmett! I can feel your scalp! Ew! Your hair better grow fast, or so help me you're buying Rogaine."

"Yes, Rosie." He obeyed weakly.

"Now, start sucking up by getting our bags-all of them to the car. See this carousel? Our check in bags will be coming down soon. Mine are the brown Louis Vutton that look like this purse, Alice's are the bright pink Chanel ones, and Bella's are the dark blue Roxy bags. We will be waiting in the car, and don't come unless you have _all_ of them." We started walking toward the car that was the size of a small country.

"Uh, baby? How many bags do you girls have?"

"Six. Not including the carry-ons." We left the quarterback speechless.

After lifting Alice into the Jeep, and climbing in ourselves, Rose, who sat in the front seat, turned on the air conditioning and twisted the dial on the radio to a trendy station with low volume. She sat in the passenger seat while I laid my head on Alice's lap in the back. We kicked off our sandals, put our hair into ponytails, and tried to relax. The flight had been shorter than the first, but more troublesome. First, we had the end of vacation blues, second, turbulence was nearly constant, silencing the signal for TV, movies, and music, our iPods were drained, our books and magazines read, and the food was terrible for Coach, even, no less First Class.

We had tried to sleep, but the man in the row behind us snored like a bear, preventing any sort of rest. My tired eyes were red from exhaustion, and insomnia. Throughout the entire trip, even the few hours of the early morning that we did sleep, all I saw when I closed my eyes were my green ghosts. The melon eyes haunted me, lurking about my every thought and breath. Relentless, vengeful, and absolutely wonderful.

A grin crept up on my face when the flutter in my heart returned as the eyes did.

"What are you smiling at, Bella? Something funny?" Alice asked, completely irritated with the trash on the floor in the backseat.

"No. Just thinking..." Her head perked up in interest.

"Who is he?" Normally, my stubbornness would overcome me and I would slyly sneak away from the subject. This time, I was too tired to defend myself from her prying.

"I don't know actually. I remember his eyes, but that's it. Who do we know who has green eyes?" Maybe she knew someone that I had overlooked? She thought for a moment, and answered.

"No one I know."

"Wait, who's the kid I cheat off of in Math?" A voice asked from the front seat.

"Uhh, Tyler...Yorkie." Alice answered.

"Doesn't he have hazel eyes?"

"Yeah, so?" The pixie replied.

"So! Hazel is green."

"No it's not, hazel is brown."

Isn't hazel green _and_ brown?" I joined in. They pondered that for a second, and continued.

"I don't think so...i'll Google it later. Much later..." Alice yawned above me.

"Well, whatever. These eyes were definitely green. Not hazel, whatever it is. And _trust_ me, this guy is not _Yorkie_."

Laughter erupted in front of me. Rosalie had been checking her appearance in the fold-down mirror when the giggles began.

"Oh my god, you guys. Look at my idiot of a boyfriend!"

We twisted around behind us, looking through the rear windshield. The man was surrounded by bags- nine large suitcases to be exact. He had tied strings to the handlebars, and then tied them to his wrists, and while this dragged the luggage, it did not prevent them from twisting over sideways, and falling to the ground. He stumbled off the curb, his arms nearly being pulled from their muscly sockets. After what seemed like hours of stomach-wrenching laughter, Emmett made it to the back of the Jeep.

After wiping sweat from his brow and cutting the strings with a pocket knife that he drew from his camouflage-pant pocket, he started piling them into the back of the car. Two guys that looked about eighteen walked by the car.

"Whipped!" They yelled as laughter overcame them. Furious, Emmett flipped them the bird, and yelled back.

"Hey! Do you two dweebs have three hott girls in your car? No, so I wouldn't be the one talking if I were you! See that pretty blonde over there?" He pointed toward Rose. "That's my girlfriend. Suck on that!" Rose beamed with her newly-inflated ego.

The three of us fell fast asleep before we hit the freeway, and five hours later, I was grumbling through my front door. Charlie and Emmett were nice enough to help carry my two suitcases up, while I dragged the carry-on. Without bothering to change out of my old jeans and gray t-shirt, I flopped onto my fluffy purple comforter and slept once more. I guess being in Forks again comforted me more than I thought; maybe the unease that I had felt at the beginning of the trip had not subsided, but covered up by sunny beaches and virgin drinks with colorful umbrellas.

For once, my dreams were absent, as were the cantaloupe eyes. For once, my slumber was un-interrupted. For once, my rest was restored. For once, I desperately missed, with all my empty heart, to find the man who possessed this precious sight.


	13. Shattering the Barrier

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. Seriously.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 13- Shattering the Barrier

Standing at my once-cluttered desk, my hand trembled slightly as it reached for the calendar. Pale fingers pinched the side of the page that read August 25. Jerking it to the side, they tore yesterday's date off of the book and tossed it into the metal trashcan by my door. I flipped to the page behind today's date, and my heart faltered at the note I had written on it in pencil. _August 27- First Day of School. _This was the first time in eleven years that I was actually scared to go back to school. When normally I could not bear to wait another minute to get out of the social scene that was summer and start the academics once more, I was now terrified because I knew that this year was definitely going to involve the shock and stares of my peers.

The doorbell echoed through my house, and I heard my mother answer it.

"Hello, Jasper."

"Good morning Mrs. Cullen."

"Jasper, please, call me Esme. Especially after all that you and your mother did for Edward."

"Ok, Esme."

"Good. Edward is in his room." I heard his footsteps come down the hall and opened my door to allow him in.

"Hey Jazz."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Eh, not much. Panic attacks, scared out of my mind, you know, the usual." I answered, half-joking. Checking my hair once more in the mirror, I grabbed my Adidas gym bag and headed out the door behind my friend. It seemed the only time I could get away with wearing a plain t-shirt and sweats was when we were going to work out. Stepping into the warm garage, my finger hit the button on my key, unlocking the new, shiny Volvo in the third spot of the garage.

I turned sixteen in June, after that fateful weekend in Seattle. My parents, not wanting to make me pay for a car with my college money, had bought me a new, sleek, silver Volvo that had a sporty feel, and plenty of legroom. The compactness of my car had become important very quickly; it felt as if Jasper and I had grown inches in merely two months. We had looked shorter before we started walking with our head level to the ground, but I had no idea that cells could replicate as rapidly as ours did. I measured a reasonable five foot eleven, while Jazz hit the six foot mark.

Not only had we grown taller, but we had filled our scrawny arms and torsos with layers of muscles, making us wider and built. Though we might not be able to take on the brute that had nearly folded our faces in, we would at least be squashed a little less easily. Maybe. Hopefully. Something we had lost, however, were the annoying bumps and red spots that had invaded our faces for years. That sort of thing we were glad to be rid of.

Gliding along the road to the small gym across town, I remembered the first day we stepped foot in the freezing room with those once strange-looking machines. We had sped down the road as we did now, only we had no idea what we would find there.

"Can you slow down, Edward? Planning on killing us or something?" Jasper's hand turned white with the force of his gripping the armrest. I glanced at the speedometer.

"I am only going fifty, chill. What are you worked up about?"

"Working out." My brows pulled together. Was he feeling the nervousness that I felt when we were in the city? Was this what terrified him?

"Don't worry, Jazz, we have an appointment with a personal trainer. Nothing is going to go wrong, trust me."

"How can you be so sure? Can you see the future or something? Because if you can, that would be really helpful!"

"Calm down before you pop an artery. We're not starting out with anything big, just a few pounds."

"Alright. That's not so bad. I mean, if you drop a few pounds on your foot or something it won't break or anything, right?"

"If I was freaking out in Seattle as much as you are now, I am eternally sorry." He ignored that.

Miles of trees and small houses passed by our windows, my eyes glancing down at the directions. Turning right, the large building came into view. Glass windows lined the facade, just below the large, red letters that read Gold's Gym. After parking my car, I led Jasper by the elbow into the freezing lobby. Dumbbells were being lifted, and machines creaked with resistance and weights. Three very bulky staff members stood at the reception desk.

A buff woman was talking on the phone, while another was filling out paperwork. A man that seemed twice as big as Emmett Tucker waited for us as he leaned against the wall. A black t-shirt strained against his barrel-like chest, as did the waistband of his polyester Adidas pants. A gold name tag was pinned on his shirt, reading Rocky. What a cliche. A very, very true cliche.

"Hey! You must be the weakling that I spoke to on the phone!" Rocky wrapped one bulky arm around each of us, encircling both of our shoulders. He pressed us together, making us wince at the weight of his arms. We slid out from under him, seperating ourselves from him with a few feet of space.

"Uh yeah, I'm Edward Cullen, and this is Jasper Whitlock." Jasper gulped and glided subtly behind my shoulder.

"Ha! You're a comedian! Tell me, what are your names." We simply stared at him. "Really? Wow. Sorry."

"It's alright, we get it all the time."

"No, I'm sorry that your names are _Edward_ and _Jasper_." Silence shattered our ears for a moment, but soon we got over the awkwardness and continued. "Well, uh, let's get started, shall we?" He led us over toward an array of metallic machinery and began the various lectures. Dizziness swarmed my head with all the different information. Switching my brain to the state that allowed me to memorize school notes, I began to concentrate.

First, we stopped at a wide, metal bar. Looking like it weighed at least fifteen pounds without any added weights, I now understood the reason behind my friend's terror, which now began to appear physically in the trembles in his hands.

"Ok...Jasper...wanna go first?" Jazz shook his head without a word. "Uhh, Edward?" What could I do? Say no and subject Jasper to that nightmare? Run out the back door? I could do that...no. _Just put on a brave face for Jazz_. I told myself.

"Ok." Was all I could muster. I was led to the intimidating bar, and Rocky motioned for me to pick it up as he had showed me. I bent down, rubbed my sweaty palms against my sweatpants, and reached around the cold surface. Partially hidden behind a column, Jasper watched me looking as if he was ready to run and rip me from underneath the pole. Great.

Bending my knees, the trainer guided me through the steps once more. _Bend, crouch, lift, up_ echoed through my head. A second glance at my friend which I soon regretted, and I pulled my body upward. Curling it toward my chest, my legs stumbled beneath me, quivering, I stepped backward rapidly.

"Edward! Steady yourself! Slowly lower the bar!" Rocky's voice came into my hearing.

"Edward! Careful! Don't drop it! That thing will shatter your foot!" Jasper whined. Stunned, I walked backward into what I thought was a mirror. The end of the pole swung to my side, cracking the surface that I ran into. When I expected the metal to stop at the cement wall, it continued to be pulled by gravity. My stomach dropped and my heart faltered. Glass. I had not shattered a mirror. I had shattered a window, a window that I was now being pulled through.

"EDWARD!!" Jasper's shriek was not unreasonable this time. Shocked, the moment my feet left the ground was when my consciousness left me. Fuzzy cloud invaded my sight, disallowing me to regain awareness. After minutes passed, the haze pulled apart, granting me sight.

Laying on my back, I felt the tiny prickles of grass on my neck. My arms laid above my head, and my hands were free from metal. Tiny, vertical stings covered the surface of my arms that were bare except for the thin liquid that ran down them. Voices cleared in my earshot enough for me to make out the words.

"What is your buisiness here, sir?"

"He's my son, and I am a doctor. Please allow me through." Footsteps walked toward me. "Edward? It's Dad. Can you hear me?" I groaned, blinking my eyes.

"Dad?" I muttered.

"He's awake? Is he going to be okay, Dr. Cullen?" A voice with the hint of a southern twang came nearer.

"Just give him some room, he'll be fine." The soothingly calm voice of my father comforted me as my friend's concern warmed my heart with the fact that someone who did not share my blood worried about me. While this was not new information to me, it only re-instilled our friendship.

"W-w-what happened?"

"We can talk about that later. Do you think you can sit up?" Upon command, Carlisle put his arm around my shoulder as I leaned up. Looking around me, all that I could see were the trees and grass opposite the front of the gym. How had I gotten there? "Good. Let's get you to the hospital and get this scratches taken care of. When you're ready, try to stand."

After a few minutes and assistance from Carlisle and Jasper, the sleek, black leather of my father's Mercedes was underneath me. I sank back into the seat, and turned my head to the place that I had originated from. The facade of the gym was the same as it had been, only with one less window. Shattered glass stuck in the window frame and in the grass that was imprinted with a mold of my body on the lawn. I remembered hearing a crack as that wicked pole swung behind my right shoulder, and vaguely a feeling similar to that of falling...Great. My first time to a gym, and I crashed through a window.

Groaning, I put my head in my hands and shook it back and forth. Could I not do anything new without injury to my body or mind? It did not seem so.

An hour later, I found myself and Jasper back in the same room we had been in the hospital nearly five months before. Only this time, Jazz wasn't drunk with dizziness. The bleeding scratches on my arm were now free from glass, which was replaced by a few dissolvable stitches.

"If you are feeling better, you're free to go son."

"Thanks, Dad. Jazz, do you mind if we walk back?" Since he did not have his driver's licence, and I had left my Volvo at Gold's Gym, and my father still had work to be done at the hospital, it seemed the only way home. Besides, it was not far, and I wanted some fresh air that was not available to my lungs due to the lack of a bike and the gift of a car.

"Sure. You going to be okay to walk all that way?"

"Yeah, should be. If not, you'll catch me right?" Silence. "Tell you what, if I start to feel faint, i'll let you know."

"Thanks. Let's go." Outside the hospital, we were surrounded by the forests of Forks once more.

"Well, how much." Jasper looked at me strangely.

"How much what?"

"Well, you know, for the window I broke. How much do I owe them for it?" Jazz grinned, something I did not expect to see.

"Nothing. Turns out, Rocky gave you the thirty-pounder instead of ten. He is a bit of a prankster, and has done it before. This is not the first time the boss found out about it, either. The manager fired him, and gave us two months free membership. Each." Huh. Who'd have thought?

"Seriously?"

"No, you owe them ten grand." Panic struck my face. Ten thousand dollars for one window? "Nah. Just kidding."

"You suck!" I elbowed him, and we both erupted into laughter. This was what being friends with Jasper was all about. Besides the minor injuries and 'interesting' experience in Seattle, my cynicism faded for the time being. Maybe I really was looking at everything the wrong way. The few times I had gone out and about, no one ignored me or made fun of me. In fact, some people even looked at us in a good way, the sort of way that told you that you were worth looking at for more than just a joke.

Miles of forest stretched from where we strode to my white house by the river, and we sank into the dark evergreen that was dotted with gray light. Weeks had passed from the last time that we had taken this route. It was not until now that I knew that I missed it. Simply because I had a car, did not mean that I was deprived of a good walk.

Today, parking in front of the same gym with the new window, we looked forward to meeting our personal trainer, the very non-threatening Janet with blonde hair in a bobbing ponytail and leggings.

"Can you try not to break anything this time?" He knew very well that it had been over a month and a half since the incident, but he still deserved my elbow between his ribs. "Ow!"

"C'mon, let's go."

As I stared out the window that was slightly more clear than the rest, curling dumbbells with my arms, I truly knew that I had lept over the obstacles in my way. All that remained was the length of the road before the red ribbon at the end. For me, however, that ribbon was the first day of school tomorrow. This ribbon would have to be cut with diamond sheers, not simply run through. Perhaps that was best though, because this was the last day that I could be judged only by myself. In one day's time, the true affect of this makeover would be put to the test as I had been with the weights. I could only hope that I would not fall through any windows. Tomorrow, I will shatter the barrier that had taken me years to create.


	14. A New Addiction

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. Don't sue.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 14- A New Addiction

There it stood. The sign was the same as always, the orange letters reading Forks High School. The deep red bricks had not aged, and the gray grout had not crumbled. Dark wooden doors with small windows were closed, waiting. Laminate floors and white walls interrupted by rows of gray lockers made up the once empty hallways. Custodians were irritated at the prospect of scraping more food- products of lunch time fights- off of the panelled walls. Clouds hovered over me, as if pushing me farther into the campus. Lush, green lawns stood before me, breaking the black asphalt of the parking lot we stood in. After brightening the lot with the arrival of the red and yellow sports cars from the dreariness of the ancient, used cars, a sudden silver gleam glided into the lot.

A shiny, new Volvo rolled past us, the glare in the windows not allowing me to identify the driver or the passenger. Being juniors, many of my classmates got jobs over the summer to fill the low finances needed to make a down payment on a used car. Unfortunately, even if I had taken that job at Newton's Outfitters and miraculously saved up the money required, Charlie refused to put me on his insurance. His demand had been that until I released the old Bella Swan, that the new one he disliked would be stuck in the cruiser or carpools.

While he had not lightened up on his restriction, he did agree with the fact that I made an improvement. At first, I was terrified that changing myself would deny me the friendship I had with Rosalie and Alice, but in fact, we had only grown closer. Subtle changes were present in me; for one, I thanked Emmett for bringing my luggage upstairs, and I hung around at home more often and cooked for Charlie.

New recipes were saved on my groaning computer, school notebooks were purchased before school clothes, and shoes, and accessories.. The bathroom was tidy, as was the kitchen and my room. I found that my father came home from work earlier than usual, and was slightly less eager to go to Billy Black's house when the tantalizing smells of lasagna and sausage swarmed the house. The first few nights that I told my friends that I would be staying home, suspicion clouded my dad's thankfulness. As soon as he realized that my random acts of kindness were genuine, his pearly teeth were more visible than ever in his smiles.

Surprisingly, it was not as difficult as I had pre-judged it to be. Due to the fact that merely one week and a half before school resumed, I was stepping off a plane from France, jetlag incapacitated my will to be as I once was. However, as the fogginess of insomnia faded, new routines came easily to me. Alice and Rosalie were supportive of my goal, even when I told them the truth, and that I was not just sucking up in an effort to gain some wheels. Subtle changes were even present in their behavior as well.

Rosalie had not been _as_ irritated by Emmett's buzz than she had during the 'luggage incident', and while it was hard to see on the surface, she truly, with all her heart, loved him. She had never been so happy as she was now, her eyes had never sparkled so. Laughter escaped her red lips with every slight pleasure. She was in her own personal paradise. And that killed me inside.

Alice was as joyous as usual, but it seemed almost as if she had a spot of emptiness as I had. Often, she would zone out, which was not unusual for her, but her face sunk into sadness as she did. She had once told me that she had a strange, gut instinct that if her life continued as it did, she would end up alone. While Alice has had a few boyfriends and a lot of dates, it made perfect sense to me. She never allowed herself to step outside her hyper activity, and never made any effort to make a deeper connection than the bond shared on a second date. Sure, she would tell short stories about her childhood, and about her troubles. Yet, she never said anything about her fears that her future was dead. Not that she imagined herself dying, but rather she couldn't imagine herself at all.

Monotony. That was what High School had become for me. A seemingly endless cycle of back to school supplies from Staples, new backpacks, notebooks and such. There was that confusion that lingered in the halls after the terrified Freshmen had passed through them, utterly lost even in this school of merely three hundred students or so. Teachers had fresh bags under their eyes from schedule difficulties with last minute registrations, and new schedules were shoved in our hands.

Passing through the doors of the school that was all too familiar to me, Alice, Rose and I glided into the gym and separated to wait in the lines. Waiting in the 'S' line while Alice stood in 'B' and Rosalie in 'H', my fingers tapped my thigh absentmindedly. Nervousness crept into my stomach, only these were not feelings of dread, but of, could it be _excitement_? Over school? Maybe when I began to lose the negativity of New Bella, I had begun to lose my mind as well. Of course, separating my two different states of mind like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was not a good sign.

Suddenly, my heart jolted into overdrive as my breathing halted. My worries about my mental health were absent in their entirety. Striding with the grace of an eagle in flight, a boy, no, a man walked in the direction opposite from mine. Thudding in my chest, the heart that beated twice as fast as it needed to be pulsed blood through my veins that were visible through my ivory skin. Adrenaline raced through my body that felt as if it may topple over at any sudden movement. Everything around me was silent but the beating in my chest. _Thud thud. Thud thud._

My fingers ached to touch him, my arms strained against the urge to wrap them around his muscular torso. I had never been so jealous of any article of clothing as I was now of his black button down t-shirt. The sleeves hung down over part of his hands, and the collar was stiff and new. Blue jeans with spots worn so greatly that white threads held together the splitting sides. I begged for those threads to release, and allow me to see another centimeter of his pale flesh...

"Next?"

Tousled bronze hair sat upon his head, and a dark coat hung over his arm underneath stacks of registration papers and such. If only I knew what line he had come from, then I would know the first letter of his last name...

"Uh, next please."

My eyes raked his body, wishing with all my might that he might spare me a glance, even if it was out of pity. If only I could see his eyes...

"Miss?"

My breath halted once more. Those brilliant, gleaming eyes of melon green jarred my memory. Guilt raced through my system. How could I defy those eyes that haunted me with such intensity for so long by allowing myself to fall for this stranger? Perhaps this was what I needed. It was not fair of me to judge my feelings for the eyes and the man separately, for my heart was still pounding ferociously from the newcomer, as it did with less intensity for the eyes. However, it seemed as though this could be my escape from their rule. Was this my peace? Was this mysterious male the answer to my question that consisted of the ceasing of the haunts?

"Uh, excuse me, next!" My coma lifted, and my mind was brought back to the present. My cheeks reddened with impressive force; I could feel the heat. Feet of space stood between me and the woman who was in charge of handing out the right schedules. With my head down, I rushed to the long table before me.

"Yeah, hi, sorry. Isabella Swan." She eyed me, most likely thinking that I had the mental illness I feared that I possessed as well.

"Here you are. Next?" Staring at our schedules, Rosalie, Alice and I met up at the other side of the gym. Glancing nervously around the space, my eyes searched with hope for the man. No such luck. He had disappeared as quickly as he had come.

After burying my nose back into the thin piece of paper, my eyes scanned the schedule. First period, English with Mr. Mason. Second period, Government with Jefferson. Third period, Trigonometry with Mr. Varner. Fourth period, Spanish, then lunch hour, then Biology, then lastly, the subject I detested most. PE with Coach Clapp. Fantastic. Utterly fantastic.

We compared our schedules to find that Alice and I shared English class, that Rosalie and Alice shared PE, and that the three of us shared Biology. At least our companionship would make those classes slightly more bearable. Slightly. A desperate sort of hope washed through me as it came across me that the boy in the black shirt could be in any one of these classes. My new crush could be in any, or even _all_ of my classes. While my obsession seemed unreasonable in this instant, at least I would know his name should he be in any one of my classes. Worst comes to worst, I ask around. It would tarnish my reputation eternally, yet, it could be worth it.

"Bella? Earth to Bella. What is the matter with you? You're so...distant." Alice's chipper voice chimed.

"Oh, my, gosh! Bella has a crush! Bella's in love! Oh, our Baby Bella is growing up!" Rosalie added.

"Shut up." A beaming smile stretched across my face, revealing my lie. Never having been good at lying, it was too much to expect anything more. Alice and Rose gasped audibly.

"Who is he?"

"Is he here?"

"What does he look like?"

"Do we know him?"

"Calm down, you two. I only saw him from behind, I think he's new. We would have noticed him before." Suddenly, a flash of jet black fabric darted out of the back door of the gym. Racing toward it, I broke into run. As my clumsy feet began to trip me in my trendy shoes, my fingers strongly grasped a support pole, disallowing gravity to take control over my body. Hiding myself behind the wall, another man joined the bronze-haired beauty. A blond, very tall boy stood beside him, and they conversed in hushed tones.

"Bella!" Rosalie hissed between her teeth. They would think me crazy for sure. My head flicked back instinctively behind me toward the source of her voice, which I soon regretted. The boy was turning his head back the way it had been before. Before he had s_een_me. Without enough of a glance to see even the side of his face, I had no more information on him, only a flush of embarrassment. His friend's light blue eyes, however, met mine for a fraction of a second. A slight smile graced his lips, and friendliness laid below the oceanic pool within his porcelain white eyes. He had forgiven me, but had _he_? Without pausing to humiliate myself even more than I already had, I retreated back into the gym and collected with Rosalie and Alice.

Continuing through the day without much success at not keeping my hopes up to see the mysterious man, my hands trembled nervously. My fingers tapped on my new notebook, willing the clock to speed up and allow me to be released from my misery of not knowing. I had to see him again, I simply had to. Perhaps this was a new addiction for me, one that replaced, or at least calmed the eyes, and I knew what it must be like to be a drug or alcohol addict. Once you have had a taste, there was no going back.

The bell rang, and my muscles sprang up at the sound. We said our goodbyes, and departed. Sliding into my Biology desk, I anxiously awaited the room to fill like a man accused of murder waiting for a verdict. This was my trial, only this time, the debate was not if I could only survive jail, but if I could survive the court room. The final bell rang, and my heart sank. A cardiologist might want to study me; I probably had a heart problem with all of its pausing, then rapid beating. I was soon to be seventeen, and was already in line for mental illness and cardiac troubles. Fantastic. Overnight, it seemed, I had gone from being a shallow optimist into a half-crazed cynic. Was this the old Bella that Charlie longed for? It could not possibly be. What if it was not that I had gone back to my old ways, but found new ones instead.

The last I had seen of Old Bella, I had been thirteen. Perhaps in these years, my old self had changed as it would have if it was at the surface like it was now. Perhaps it had just been stored in the back of my brain, and what I called New Bella, was simply a cover to what had been there all along.

The day swam by, and my least favorite subject was free from the beautiful boy. My chest nearly collapsed within itself. I had not even one stupid class with him. A schedule change? Don't count on it, I told myself. Teachers despised random schedule changes, and would be in no mood to do so because some partially insane student wanted to find this one hott guy in particular. Right.

Tears of distress released themselves as I locked myself in a bathroom stall after school. I was not PMS, and I wished I was. What sense did it make that I was tearing for someone I did not even know? He could be a complete ass for all I knew. No, he wasn't an ass. He was perfect. I knew that, somewhere, deep inside my core.

"Bella? You in here?" Why couldn't Alice leave me alone this once?

"Yeah. I'm fine, I just...got basketball dust in my eye." Please allow her to buy that...

"Alright. Rose left, I'll be in my car when you're ready."

"Thanks." Footsteps were silenced, and I was alone. Truly alone. I did not want to be alone anymore. I wanted someone, and I wanted _him_. I knew not who he was, but what I did know was that he was everything and more. Much, much more.


	15. A Strange Feeling

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. That would be Stephenie Meyer, not me. Sigh.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 15- A Strange Feeling

My heart pulsed with an intensity unheard of, thrashing against my chest plate. The hands that would normally tremble in a situation such as this were still, transferring their shakes to my quivering spine. Running my fingers almost continuously through my hair, sweat began to form a sheen coat atop my skin. Unable to sit still, I slid into the gray, leather interior of my car and pressed gently on the pedal. While in normal days free from events such as this, the gas would be angled at a more severe depression, today, the engine whined and begged for the ability to pass the speed of ten miles per hour.

Frustration tensed my forehead, enabling my foot to press farther toward the floor. Mossy tree flew by me, the road beneath the wheels melting into the surroundings. A gentle shine graced the damp asphalt as I turned onto a small street. Slamming on the brakes as I nearly missed a stop-sign, the seat belt dug into my chest and my head flew forward. Cursing, I resumed a healthy speed. The cabin-like house that was as familiar to me as my own stood silently before me. Against the lightening backdrop of the clouded skies, the landscape possessed a sinister, serene atmosphere. Silence stabbed my ears, sending shivers down my quaking spine.

Releasing my death-grip on my armrest, I strode the short distance from the lawn to the front door. Knocking softly, I heard Jasper's voice come from withing.

"Edward?"

"Who else?"

"You're early. Come in." Entering, I saw my friend gather up his books in his new backpack, from which he tore off a tag in one swift, jerky motion. He turned to look at me, and spoke. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I might as well have. At least I would have an excuse." I did not have to explain any reasoning to my anxiety, for I knew he felt the same. The only difference was that his charisma shed the layers of physical signs of nervousness that I was showing. He had all the luck.

"Don't be like that. If you make a big deal out of it, you will look scared and people will think you're weird." I simply looked at him. "Seriously. You look terrible. You're freaking me out, dude. You can see terror on your face more easily than if you wrote it in Sharpie on your forehead."

"Thanks." I said, shooting my death glare. He continued to organize his things with no rush, knowing that we would be absurdly early to school.

"Just be calm, everything will be fine. I mean, have we had a negative reaction? No. Why would they be any different?"

"You don't know that they won't be."

"I can't see the future, Edward, but I do know that when you chill out, things tend to swing in your direction. Trust me." I did trust him, perhaps more than he knew. He was right, of course, but it was more easily said than done. Already, I began to feel the tension fade. I knew that it would be better once I spoke with Jasper, but it had a greater affect than I had hoped for. Shakiness was absent from my body, and my heart resumed its normal rhythm. The lungs that had before sucked and released air with sharp and frequent gulps, allowed me to breathe without audibility.

"Thanks." This time, I was not sarcastic.

After five minutes, we were in my Volvo, and the engine hummed to life. Drizzle speckled the windshield with tiny drops of water, making my view fuzzy and indistinct. Clicking on the windshield wipers, Jasper flicked on the radio, twisting the dial to our favorite station. Linkin Park sang from the speakers at a low volume, creating just enough sound to clear the buzz from my racing mind.

There it stood. The orange sign reading Forks High School was upright as it always was. It seemed as though nothing had changed but us. Parking the car at the far end of the parking lot where my first class was last year, Jasper and I made our way to the gym. Surprisingly, we were not the first to arrive, even at this early hour. Scatter-brained Freshmen stood eagerly in the lines in which one receives their schedule, bouncing around in excitement and fear. Sophomores, Juniors, even Seniors took the time to scare them out of their wits.

"Poor guy." Jazz mumbled as one of the Seniors took the effort to frighten a Freshmen boy. Without wanting to interfere, we stood our ground, not wanting swollen faces again. I could see, however, the look of disdain in the blue eyes beside me. The scene that we had witnessed were similar enough to the torments we had suffered both here in Forks and in my friend's previous dwellings as well.

We went our separate ways as he went into the 'W' line and I went into the 'C' line. I made my way around the lengthy table, finally finding my way around it as I strode toward Jasper who stood at the back entrance of the gymnasium. As I walked, a strange feeling made the hair on my neck stand straight. The eerie feeling of eyes on my head bore into me, shifting my stomach with unease. Without looking back, a decision I made while I debated with myself whether I should or not, I found myself at Jasper's side and we turned around the corner.

Itching my shoulder, my fingers buried themselves underneath my black shirt, and I shrugged on my black coat. The hairs on my neck stood erect once more, and this time, the sound of a hushed, muddled, female voice sent my head toward the sound.

"Bella!" The unknown female hissed. Sure enough, my searching eyes found the source of the shivers that were not from the chill in the air. Dark brown hair swept over her shoulder, contrasting with her ivory skin. Though her head was turned, I knew chocolate brown eyes sat widely in her head, and pouted, think lips were glossed with sticky, pink substances.

Jasper followed my gaze as I turned my head forward once more. A grin crept across his face. His head was turned for longer than mine had. A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"Bella Swan was staring at you." Jasper said matter-of-factly.

"Is that so?" I said, disinterested. As long as she did not send Emmett after us, the matter did not really stand out in my mind.

"I think she likes you." I glared at him.

"She tell you at your last spa day?" He gave me a hard punch in the shoulder and glared at me with good reason.

"No...she was blushing furiously when she knew that I had caught her. Her eyes were locked on you."

"She still there?" He glanced backward, and shook his head. Strange. I knew I looked different, but I didn't even know if she had seen more than my back, and why would she run after me? Did she remember who I had been? Did the memory of the day that my nose was broken and Jazz was thrown against the locker refresh in her mind? That would certainly call for her embarrassment. Now that I thought of it, the female voice that hissed her name could easily have been Rosalie, for Alice had a much higher, distinct voice. Great. They knew. Or so I had thought. There was still a reasonable possibility that she had been chasing a stranger, perhaps wanting to introduce herself to the new kid. Or so she thought.

A laugh escaped my lungs at this thought; she had a crush on the new kid. Me. Laughter erupted in me, and it did the same in Jasper. He seemed to think the same that I did. Imagine, Isabella Swan, snobby daughter of the police cheif, having a crush on me, of all people. For all I cared, she may as well have beat me up when the brute did. She had poked fun at me without even realizing it plenty of times over the years, and each time, she thought of me as the weird kid with the glasses. When she did recognize me, I had not doubt that she would not, the situation would return to the same way it had always been. It was, after all, inevitable, as was everything else.

Our laughs subsided, and we compared schedules. First period for both of us was Trigonometry Honors, second for me was PE, third for me was Government Honors, fourth for me was French 3, then lunch hour, then we both had Biology Honors with Mr. Rollins, then lastly, English. It was alright, I guess, as long as Jazz and I were in at least a few classes together. I would have to be friendly. I severely disliked being friendly, especially since I had no need for it before, as per the fact that no one had bothered to talk to me unless it was an insult.

The day cruised by without incident. Smooth as bathwater, it seemed rather than the stormy seas I had expected. No problems, no issues, no conflicts with any teachers, even the strict ones. Eerily perfect, there was one thing that kept me from pinching myself, or would have willed me to do this.

One reoccurring theme was awe generating from my classmates, especially my female classmates. In every class, it seemed, there was some sort of whispering gossip or notes being passed with looks in my direction. One class in particular, though, stood out in my mind.

Second period, PE with Coach Clapp, read my schedule. Without being required to dress in our gym clothes for the day, we all sat around in the bleachers with our backpacks on our laps or beside us. Without Jasper's company, I was alone. For the first time, a desperate longing made me wish that I had the social skills needed to befriend others, or rather any social skills at all. The strange feeling of eyes boring into my back raised my hair once more. Was this the new trend? Increasing the paranoia that lingered in my head?

Grimacing, I turned my head ever so slowly, hoping that the giggles behind me would cease as they saw that I was aware of their stares. No such luck. A pack of girls sat clustered behind me, giggling, whispering, staring, and other acts of annoyance. I knew a few of their names; Jessica Stanley, Lauren Conrad, and Angela Weber. Angela seemed harmless enough, at least she was trying to concentrate on the homework she had been assigned. Jessica and Lauren, however, were borderline obnoxious. Staring at them full in the eyes, their heads did not whip around as they should have.

Instead, anger rose inside me as my gaze transformed into a glare. The intimidation in my green eyes must have had fulfilled their purpose; the girls slowly looked away. Their smirks remained, however. It had deferred their eyes, but it seemed as though my glare had only increased their interest. Great. Two members of the group of the female annoyances in Forks High School had their eyes on me. My heart stopped. _Jessica_, and _Lauren_ had their eyes on me. My reflection was visible in the screen of my cell phone that, ironically, was the same color as my car. Without giving myself away, I stared into the blank screen, feeling like a superficial idiot. Feeling like Rosalie Hale, for that matter.

It was at this time that I accepted the fact that I was handsome. Imagine that. Me, handsome. It was more than enough that I had even the possibility of being average, and it was almost ridiculous that girls were after me. Could I be on the same level as Mike Newton? That was a little presumptuous, but I could not help but think of that. Was it ridiculous? Without thinking about myself in the mirror, the man who stared back at me would be considered attractive, I guess, but it was difficult to connect the two people I saw in the mirror every morning. There was the man who belonged on a magazine cover, and the other who was just a strange looking version of me. Ecstasy swarmed throughout my body; I was near the top of the chain. I would not let it get to my head, but it did give me a rush.

My other classes glided by with similar encounters, some with Jessica and Lauren even. Some girl even through me a note with her phone number on it.

_805-497-9393_

_Karlie_

To that I replied...

_I am sorry, Karlie. It would not be gentlemen-like to accept this. You do not know me, nor I you, and it would be best if we were just friends. By the way, Tyler looks as if he may fall out of his chair if you send him what you sent me. _

_Edward_

I was afraid of looking her way, but was glad I did when I saw a smile creep up her face as she met Tyler's gaze. That was nice, I thought to myself. A happy ending, which seemed so rare these days. No one lived happily ever after anymore.

Meeting Jasper in the parking lot next to my Volvo, my eyes glazed over the familiar red BMW and yellow Porche that parked next to each other every day. Rosalie Hale drove off in a hurry to meet her boyfriend at her house, who was driving the mammoth Jeep ahead of her. Alice Brandon waved goodbye to her, and walked anxiously back into the school. Wondering what could be bothering her, my eyes scanned Jasper, who was staring at her intently.

"Jazz, I don't think my dad will let me hang out with you if you get me beaten up again." I said as my elbow lodged between his ribs.

"Firstly, ow. Secondly, Emmett Tucker is already gone. Thirdly, I-I can't help it." He exhaled deeply, and continued. "There is just something about her, the way her hair is, the color of her eyes, how small she is...I don't know, something about her just...sticks."

"Sticks?"

"Yeah, like how I dream about her almost every night, how I can't keep my eyes off of her, how I remember the exact color of her skin and how she smells. It all just stays with me." We were silent, and I knew my best friend was in love. And something inside began to hurt.


	16. The Love of Juliet

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. Duh.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 16- The Love Of Juliet

The first day of school had come and gone. The second passed slowly, as if time itself was dragging its feet. The third had gone by even more sluggishly, and so had the rest of the days when my eyes searched my surroundings, searching for that mysterious new student, yet only finding the same, tiresome people I had known since middle school, and the irritating new Freshmen.

Every time that ear-shattering bell rang, I lept out of my desk with impressive speed, often sending me stumbling over backpacks, table legs, or my own two feet. I did not care. Subtly, yet with purpose, I walked through the halls at such a low speed that more often than not I would be slipping through the door of my next class within a few seconds of the final bell. All the while, I strode with Rosalie or Alice at my side, absentmindedly chatting while I glazed over the scenery. No such luck. Day in and day out for nearly two weeks now, my aching heart sank with every moment that I did not see him. As if it were torturous enough not to have him in any of my classes, it was worse still not to see him at all.

He never walked the halls that I occupied. He never made himself present at lunch. He was never spoken of, nor mentioned by my friends. He could be a ghost, for all I knew. A mirage, meant to mess with my mental stability and stab my heart continuously throughout the day. Perhaps this was my punishment for becoming that cruel, superficial person I intended to leave behind. It was deserved, I will admit, but the crime I had committed could not possibly bear this sort of justice, this hostile, criminalistic justice. No matter how many times my mind assured me that there would be no boy with bronze hair in my sight, my heart still plummeted, anchoring me further into a depression.

Alice noticed, even Rosalie noticed. My behavior had changed since that first day. At first, they were annoyed, now they were worried. Alice and I were walking to English class as we did every morning, and I scoured the landscape for any trace of the ghost over whom I obsessed.

"Bella, are you okay? You have been sort of...preoccupied with this guy lately. Are you sure you don't know who he is?" Alice questioned.

"Yeah. I would remember him. Trust me." I replied as I continued to glance around the campus.

"And you haven't seen him since you got your schedule?"

"No." I said, sighing.

"Maybe we could look through the yearbook..." I could tell by the tone in her voice that she thought we were not going to find anything.

"Alice, I am not crazy. I saw him, and his friend who looked me in the eye, and before that he looked too." Her expression looked doubtful. "Rose saw him too, ask her." She exhaled, and replied.

"I trust you, Bella. Tell you what, I'll.." She trailed off mid-sentence, staring blankly straight ahead.

"Alice? Alice-what's wrong?" We stopped in the hallway, and I turned toward her. "Alice, are you alright?" Breaking out of her gaze, she looked toward me. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Just...deja vu I guess."

"Are you sure? It looked pretty intense. What did you see?" It was rare that she got these strange episodes of deja vu, and it was almost stupid that I asked her what it was of. Her dream boy was always the focus of these 'visions', and had hung over her as the melon eyes did for me. Perhaps this is why she had such a specific idea of her ideal man, and though she would not say so out loud, I knew that the man in her thoughts was the man she wished for.

"Him. Again. Only, I couldn't see his face. It was blurry, like when you open your eyes underwater. Come to think of it, I have never seen his face." Her dark eyes were glazed over, deep in thought. Only when this sort of episode occured was Alice truly silent. Sure, she did not speak all the time, but it always seemed as though there were words buzzing through her mind, making it seem as if her hyper-active thought process was what made her hair spike up.

"You will. Someday you will see his face."

"Yeah. Maybe." Her somber voice dripped with hopelessness, and though I was not a mind reader I knew she felt that she would never see his face, not his lips nor cheeks, nor eyes. Only his back, as she described to me, with glistening blond hair and at least a foot and a half of height difference between them. In her daydreams, she was always chasing him, and could never catch up. That was me now, and we both had one more thing in common. Our hearts both yearned for the ghosts we followed.

It was as if my inner monologue was clear to her, of course that was not hard to believe, I was a terrible liar, and even terrible at keeping my drooping face composed.

"Sorry. Look, we'll search through yearbooks tonight, and see what we can find. I'll help you." She understood. She knew I had a ghost as she did.

"You don't have to, Alice..."

"No. I want to." I gave her a hint of a smile. Alice wanted one of us to have our man, I guessed, and I hoped that even if we did find the boy, I could somehow repay her by searching for her own love.

"Thanks." She smiled again, and we took our seats.

English dragged by like a snail on sandpaper-slow, scratching, and in all aspects slimy and gross. We were discussing Romeo and Juliet today, and every time the title was mentioned my stomach tightened a little. On top of the pain the subject caused me, we were assigned an essay, and a long one at that which counted as a large part of our grade. Fantastic. I was skilled at writing essays, there was no debate about that, but it was time-consuming, precious time that I would need for yearbook page flipping...

"Your essay will be based upon the classic argument relating to this novel. Is the fictitious love between Romeo and Juliet true love as many believe it to be? Or is it mere infatuation? You can use different points such as the rapid pace in which this all takes place, how they meet, how they think of one another, ecetera, ecetera. You have until Monday."

The class groaned at the teacher's words, myself included. "Would you like it due on Friday, instead?" Another murmer from the class supported a unanimous 'no' at the suggestion. "Well, then, get started."

Thinking about the essay, I decided to focus on the infatuation side of the argument. After all, Juliet was only thirteen, a notable difference from her seventeen year old lover. They met at a party, and first saw one another from across the room, hardly a proper introduction, and were married less than two days afterward. They knew very little, if anything at all about one another, and not even their names before they proclaimed their love. Stupid, stupid Juliet, for falling in love with a handsome man whom she could never have. Idiotic Juliet, obsessing over someone she had only seen, not even touched. Moronic Juliet, who perhaps only loved him due to the fact that she could not be with him. After this internal rant, I knew that I was no longer speaking of Juliet Capulet.

My classes all went by with no rush, and when yesterday I thought it could not possibly be any slower, it was. Just as it was two days ago, and three days ago. Monotony.

Finally, the bell rang, emptying students from the cafeteria. Biology was next, and so began another round of hopeless searching. Nothing. As usual. Monotony. I was early to class for once, and as I began to take my seat in the desk I called my own, my teacher beckoned me to come to his desk.

"Miss Swan, may I see you for a moment?" Oh great. He was probably ready with a detention in hand for all the times I had not paid attention in class, and had been tardy. Just what I needed to spoil my record with Charlie.

"Look, I know I have been late and zoning out a lot, it's just that, I have a lot on my ming right now and..."

"Miss Swan, I am not going to punish you." I was stunned.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. In fact, I am moving you to Biology Honors."

"What?! You can't be serious? Me, in an honors class?" How had a conversation that I thought meant detention change into a sort of promotion?

"Bella, do you know your grade in my class?" I shook my head. "You come in here late at least once or twice a week, don't pay attention, and hardly ever do your homework." Did I hear right?

"Yeah, sorry about that..."

"Let me finish, please. With all of that, you have a ninety seven percent in the class."

"Really?" I questioned in disbelief as he turned his computer monitor to show me my grade. Sure enough, A plus. "Huh." Was all I could say.

"I already spoke to your teacher, and made the switch. Here is your new schedule." My eyes followed the text down the page to see the room number of which my new class was being held in. Biology Honors with Mr. Rollins.

"You start today. He will not mark you late."

"Um, okay. Uh, thanks." I darted out of the room, trying to get there only a minute after the bell, if possible. Darting through the halls, I reached my destination. Sliding through the wooden door frame, my eyes found the front of the room where the teacher stood, writing notes up on the board.

"Class, we have a new student today, her name is Isabella Swan."

"Bella." I corrected.

"My mistake. Now we only have one seat available, and that would be the one next to Mr. Cullen over there." Without thinking, I turned around to where his hand motioned me to sit.

The aching heart inside me rose into my throat, and my stomach knotted and flopped like a fish out of water. Euphoria swarmed my body-it was him. His bronze hair shone brilliantly in the florescent lighting, and his pale skin glowed from the white wall beside him. As my eyes were widening, a punch smacked me in the chest. Melon-green eyes like small cantaloupes pierced into mine with an intensity I had never before encountered. It was him. It was them. It was both of them. The man and the eyes were one and the same.

It was merely a split second that our gazes met, and as quickly as they had locked on mine, they darted back to the board and his fingers scribbled down the notes in his strange scrawl. I sank into my seat slowly, trembling. My bones were turned to sponge, and I feared they would defy me, allowing me to tumble idiotically to the ground.

In shock, my body was frozen stiff. In a matter of second, I was transformed from a heartsick student racing against time to a Bella-sicle. Nervously, my hands dug through my bag, unable to quite get a hold on my books or notebooks. After what seemed like minutes of endless rummaging, my shaky writing raced between the lines of the paper, copying down the notes without computing them. I replayed the sentence my new teacher had spoken.

_Now, we only have one seat available, and that would be the one next to Mr. Cullen over there._

Cullen. I had a name. Cullen. Only I no longer needed a name, for I had proof that he existed. I had proof that he was not a ghost, but very much alive. After the class was about halfway through, I could not help myself from taking a peek at him through my hair. His face was strong, his jaw square and his cheekbones prominent. His eyes, oh, his eyes. I still marveled at their brilliance, at their sheen and at the intensity that slightly intimidated me. Slightly until, that is, he looked at me. Glared would be a more appropriate word. Was my face strange? Had I seemed stalker-like? I quickly bent my head down and did not look up again for the rest of the period. At the end of class, he moved swiftly behind me, sending a whiff of the most pleasant scent toward my nostrils.

As I stood, I noticed that the chair beside mine was angled away from me. Not like I expected everything to be arranged at ninety degree angles, but this looked deliberate. What was the reason for his angry stare? As I stepped out of the classroom with my books shoved out of order in my bag, I caught another sight of Cullen. He was standing by the blond boy I had seen him with before, and they were talking in hushed tones. Out of sight, I listened intently.

"...couldn't stand the smell. Why do girls insist on wearing so much perfume?" His silky voice was mystifying.

"Not all girls do. Just them."

"Yeah, I know. You should have seen the look she gave me, Jasper. Like I was an alien, or something. She was terrified." Was that glare truly that threatening? Upon remembering it, I answered myself with a yes.

"For all she knows, you might as well be an alien." Did I really wear that much perfume?

"Ha. Probably. Anyways, let's get to class." Still hiding, I hadn't expected them to come in my direction. They passed by with imminent grace and beauty. Their grins slowly faded, and both pairs of eyes met mine. I recognized the crystalline blue of the blonds, who's name I knew was Jasper. Then, the sharp blades of circular green shot into mine. Our eyes were a pool of the different eye colors-brown, blue, and green. Glares returned, but I could not break the binds made by the smoldering eyes before me.

Their heads turned forward once more as I blinked, trying to regain a grip on reality. Rushing to my next class, I knew I would have to change my direction on my English essay. Smiling, I non knew that Juliet was truly in love with Romeo, without a word being spoken, only a glance. Of course, now I pitied her, for the love of Juliet possessed not the beauty, nor eloquence that _my_ Romeo had; the mysterious Cullen was far above a Montague.

Stupid Juliet. Stupid me.


	17. Revenge and Respect

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. I wish. Really, I don't.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 17- Revenge and Respect

The first two weeks of school passed strangely, but surprisingly well. My grades were high and maintained easily, my teachers were fair, and no one punched our faces in, which was a relief. There were a few things, however, I still had to get used to. It had been made apparent to me and Jasper that we were the new talk of the school. Whispers rang through the halls, at first increasing my paranoia, were now second nature to me and were easily ignored. Numbers had been passed to me by the braver girls in the school, even some seniors, while others shied away while batting their eyes. As always, I would curve my lips gently into a smile and wave a little, for I would not be the one to ignore someone who was only trying to flatter me.

I was not the only one who was affected, however. Jasper was considered to be one of the few guys who had prom dates lining up years in advance. In the beginning, Jazz freaked. What a surprise. His hands would get clammy, and he would hide himself behind my shoulder or the nearest column or locker. These actions, of course, only made the women that much more aggressive. It was apparent to me now that there were girls who had a soft spot for the shy ones. Especially the ones whom you would never expect.

A few days after the first day of school, my friend was approached by the one girl in school that he was utterly terrified by. Emma Clarkson was about five foot seven inches, and seemed taller due to her thin frame. Artificial-looking hair that was dyed black hung stiffly over her shoulder, contrasting greatly with her skin that was covered in white makeup. Think, black leather boots ran up to her knees above fish net stockings which led to an extremely short black miniskirt with silver chains dangling around her hip. Red, cut-off gloves rested on her arms, and a long sleeve black shirt was hidden underneath her leather jacket. This outfit varied slightly day by day, but something that she always wore was the pissed-off look on her face that was ever twisted into a scowl

While Emmett Tucker was by far the scariest student attending Forks High, in looks alone, this thing...girl would take the prize.

"Well, Emma hasn't done anything drastic." I commented.

"If she did, she would be exiled from her home planet." I chuckled at Jasper's reply.

"Yeah, then the good people of Earth would be stuck with her." Emma began to stride towards us, toward Jasper specifically. Knowing this would not end well no matter how I did or did not intervene, I decided to lean back and enjoy the inevitable panic attack. My friend turned his head slowly, startled at how the only goth in the Olympic Peninsula was standing directly beside him. His oceanic eyes widened in fear, and his chest heaved in uneven intervals as if he were hyperventilating.

"Greetings, Mr. Whitlock." The eerily slow voice was unfamiliar to me, yet I could tell she made quite an effort to make it sound smooth and slky.

"Uhhh, h-h-hi uh...Miss Clarkson?" Unsure of how to respond, I guessed, Jasper felt required to call Emma by her last name.

"Mr. Cullen." I bowed my head to her as she said this, humoring her.

"After school, would you like to join me for some libations, dear Jasper?" Anxiety swelled within the air, most likely originating from the terrified man next to me.

"Uh, livations?"

"Yes." She said, waiting for an answer. Jazz looked to me, then the odd vocabulary registered in his mind.

"Oh...oh. Like, like a date?" His voice shot up an octave at the word 'date'."Like a food date?"

"Yes." This was not going to end well.

"Oh, I uh, er...I uh, can't." Emma's face twisted into anger.

"Why not?" She pressed with a hostile expression.

"I uh, have to...I am...uhh, Edward?" Jasper looked to me for help as the goth glared with raging fury.

"We just got a really, really long homework assignment." I intervened as my friend began to shy away.

"How long?" The artificially-smooth voice made me cringe as the bitter edges came through.

"Very long. It will probably take a week at the very least.

"I can do it for you." This was starting to creep me out. Thankfully, this girl was by far the strangest person in the state, and hopefully that meant the only girl likely to stalk Jasper or myself. But what was I to say? After a week he's free? I would not do that to Jazz unless he really deserved it. There were no lies that I came across that would not be shattered when it turned out we were not moving to Mexico, or that he was incurably ill. There was one lie, however, that should she spread the rumor no one would believe that would also get her off Jasper's back and mine. It was perfect, but I wished with all my heart that there was some other way. This was the last thing I ever wanted to do, but it had to be done. Rumor had it that she had a knife in her boots. That would not surprise me.

We had been on our way to lunch, and luckily the path we chose was deserted. If it hadn't been, I would never have done this.

"Look, Emma..."

"Miss Clarkson."

"Okay... Miss Clarkson...there is something you should know." She looked at me strangely, still enraged, as Jasper looked confused and somewhat in terror. Gingerly so as not to startle him, I put my right arm around Jasper in a way that was...less than manly. Feeling the heat in my cheeks as blood rushed to my face, I pulled him closer to me so that our torsos were touching. Claustrophobia struck me as he tried to pull away from me, yet despite my natural instincts to push him away from me as far as possible as this moment, I held him closely in a way that I may never be able to look him in the eye ever again.

"You see, Miss Clarkson, Jazzie and I are sort of..." Hoping that he would get the hint, my eyes glazed over blankly at him. His normally fair face was sheer paper white now, sweat dripped from his forehead, and his eyes that were mere inches away from mine were round and huge in paralyzing fear. Despite the natural aversion we both felt right now, I knew that he got the idea. Reluctantly, he put his arm around me, my waist to be exact, and we both looked at her. My skin burned like a torch of embarrassment, and there was nothing I wanted more than to jump into ice water right now and somehow gain amnesia from the last ten minutes.

"Jazz and I are..." My throat choked on the word. "we are..." I could not say it. Thank goodness, I did not need to.

"Oh, I see." A hint of a smile turned up the corners of her lips that were smeared in black lipstick."Well, I am very happy for you two. I should have known, though, I always sort of got that vibe from you." We shot looks at each other in horror. "Good luck! Right on!" She gave us friendly punches in the shoulders which really hurt, and walked away while making the rock on sign with her hand. She disappeared around the corner, and we pushed the other away, Jasper ducked from under my arm, while I jumped two feet backward, brushing off my clothes for no apparent reason.

"God damn it, Edward, you could have warned me!!"

"Like I planned this? How could I possibly tell you that I was going to...without Physco Goth knowing?"

"You could have given me a look!!"

"I did!"

"Not that kind!"

"I didn't _mean_ it to look like that! Why are you putting this all on me, anyway? I got her to leave us alone, didn't I?"

"Don't you see? Now the entire school thinks we're going out!! What will Alice think?"

"Like anyone will believe her! She has also said the Mr. Varner is an alien in disguise!"

"You never know!"

"Come on, like you didn't make it worse?"

"How did _I_ make it worse?"

"Did you _have _to put your arm so low? Why couldn't you have put it on my shoulder or something? You're taller!"

"Well, it's not like I have experience in the matter!"

"And I do??"

"Well I don't know man, we only met last year."

"I resent that."

"You should." We stood there for a few moments in silence, digesting what just happened. Our anger had fused and run out, but the awkwardness had not quite fizzled out yet.

"We don't actually act like..." Jasper sputtered out.

"No! I mean, it's not like we..."

"Right. And I mean, look at her, it's just her..."

"Yeah, of course. She was just trying to make us feel better."

"Ironic."

"Strangely so." We were silent after my last remark.

"I uh, am gonna hang out with Eric today at lunch."

"Cool. I am gonna, uh, hang out with Mike, I guess."

"Right. So uh, see you after school?"

"Yeah, yeah." Usually we would just wave goodbye when we ate lunch separately, but today we felt the need to make our depart a little more masculine. We moved awkwardly toward each other, and then locked our fingers together and gave the other a slap on the shoulder .It was an exotic action that looked more like something that Emmett Tucker would do, not Jasper and I.

"So, uh, see you dude."

"Later." Apart from the overly-slanged language, we had said what had needed to be said. As the day passed, we solemnly swore never to speak of this, and had found out that no one had been told of the incident.

Upon remembering this, my face twisted and contorted into a pained expression. Walking past the red BMW as I made my way toward Forks High, I could not help but catch a fragment of the conversation going on between Rosalie Hale and Emmett Tucker. Lowering my head so as not to be recognized by the bear-like brute.

"...it's bad enough that you got suspended last year for hitting those two dweebs, now this? God, Emmett."

"What, you telling me that you feel sorry for those two losers?"

"No, but it still wasn't right."

"Come on, Rosie baby, you said it didn't bother you except that I missed four days of scool. You even told me how Alice and Bella were laughing at their pathetic faces..."

I had enough. The worst day of my life, the day when my eye was bruised and my nose was broken, and Jasper was so dizzy from the bump on his head that he staggered like a drunk sailor. The worst day of my life when I had never felt so much like a bug having been squashed. It was on this day that Alice Brandon and Bella Swan enjoyed our misery.

I hated them. I hated the three witches that found our torture and pain amusing, like a jester would be in the Medieval days. For some reason, most of all I hated Bella Swan. When she had entered the eighth grade, she was shy and naive in the most adorable way possible. Soon enough, however, she allowed Rosalie and Alice to corrupt her until she stooped so low as to kick a man..two men...when they were down. Literally. While I had laid on the ground, bleeding, the Bella that had once helped someone who had tripped pick up their books from the floor, had laughed at my misery. Alice and Rosalie could not help themselves; Bella had chosen to.

Annoyed beyond belief, I walked to Biology early, without having eaten lunch. Instead of eating the sub-standard food, I had locked myself in my silver home away from home and beat my ear drums with music.

Sliding into the black lab table, I took out my notebook and textbook and rested my head on my hand. The bell rang, and students piled in. A moment after the last bell during the time which he was giving the lecture, the sound of the opening door interrupted his notes.

"Class, we have a new student today. Her name is Isabella Swan."

"Bella." She corrected.

"My mistake. Now we only have one seat available, and that would be the one next to Mr. Cullen over there." My eyes searched for the possibility of another open seat, only to find none. Great. The one person that I truly loathed would have to be my partner for the entire year, and would have to sit next to me. How dare she insult me as she did and expect to be treated as an equal?

I waited for her to slip into the chair next to me, but did not hear a sound. I glanced at the reflecting glare in the window to see a very stunned-looking Bella. She was frozen in place for a moment, her eyes widened as I met them. Her chocolate brown eyes were deep, sort of a dark abyss with no bottom. I told myself that the color of the iris was the cause of this illusion, not actual depth in thought. My hatred beamed into my eyes, and now knowing the affect I tended to have on the female student body, I used it to my advantage.

She sat down, nervousness emanating from her core. Darting her eyes away from me, I ignored her and focused my attention back to the class. This was a difficult task due to the fact that her stinging perfume burned my throat with every breath I inhaled. About halfway through the period, I felt her eyes on me, as I had felt on the first day of school. This was my chance if I was ever going to have to tell her the anger I possessed wordlessly. Surely she had not recognized me, but I was not about to take that risk.

Using all the force in my body, I construed all the rage and hostility into my blaring eyes. I bored into the brown pools, daring her to move. _Go on, laugh at me. Go on, I dare you. Laugh at me, and tell all your little friends about how the dweeb was mean to you..._

The final bell struck, leaving me with the satisfying memory of her frightened eyes. It was rude, sick even, but it made me feel that much better. Revenge. Respect.

"Hey Edward. How was Bio?"

"Guess who is a new student?"

"Who?"

"Bella Swan." Jasper looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Hm. That's weird."

"I know. I thought they were supposed to be stupid."

"Just when you think you know someone."

"Just wait until I tell you what I heard in the parking lot." He looked at me with a a confused look on his face. I scowled. "I overheard a conversation between Rosalie Hale and Emmett Tucker."

"What was it?"

"Long story, I'll tell you after school. But seriously, why did she have to come into _my_ class? And she practically bathed in perfume. I couldn't stand the smell. Why do girls insist on wearing so much perfume?"

"Not all girls, just them."

"Yeah, I know. You should have seen the look she gave me, Jasper. Like I was an alien, or something. She was terrified."

"For all she knows, you might as well be an alien."

"Ha. Probably. Anyways, let's get to class."

Suddenly, I felt those same, stinging holes into my head as I had when Bella was staring at me. Sure enough, there she was. Hiding in the corner, her frightened face widened in her fear. Why was she still staring at me? I now knew the meaning behind the saying 'give it a rest'.

I had told Jasper about the conversation I eavesdropped on as we sat in the plush chairs of the library while we punched numbers into our calculators.

"You're sure?" His voice dripped with anguish. I made the mistake of being honest, saying it was Bella _and_ Alice who were amused by our suffering.

"I'm sorry, Jazz." His head was bent down, and his shoulders slumped. His fingers still typed nervously, and his eyes were fixed blankly on the text in his book.

"It had to be a mistake." My heart tore at the side, knowing that Jasper as in denial. Severe denial.

"Jasper, I am really sorry, but you don't know that..."

"Yes, I do." He hissed back. "She wouldn't do something like that."

"You don't know her..."

"I know her better than you think." He said, nose still buried in his book. His voice had become hushed once more. A few seconds passed, I was unable to move.

"You really love her, don't you?" I nearly whispered.

"More than anything in this world." Pain saturated his voice, and his eyes filled with disdain. No one as fundamentally good as Jasper should have to suffer like this. It was stupid of me to say anything, I regretted it deeply. However, it was that he knew the truth. I hoped. The glare that I had given in Biology would not suffice. While it was not Bella's fault that Alice destroyed Jasper's heart, it was her fault that she had joined them to begin with.

I decided not to do anything for now, and that I would, for the most part, ignore Isabella Swan. For now, revenge was out of the question. However, I would make sure that we would get the respect we deserved. From now on, I would be the first ever to make Bella beg. She had her chance. I was not the kind to give second chances.


	18. Someone Other Than Me

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. Seriously.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 18- Someone Other Than Me

Five weeks into the school year, and Emmett and I had already broken up. Twice. Sure our relationship was always an on again-off again sort of bond, but it was starting to get ridiculous. It was always the same argument; I was too flirty with guys, his hair was still growing very slowly, I did not appreciate him, he had anger problems. Of course, he had never gotten angry at me beyond the reasonable point, not even close. Beneath those layers of muscles and brawn, he was really just a giant teddy bear. During the first six or eight months since the day we were officially boyfriend and girlfriend, we always bickered at each other.

Harmless arguments, merely about superficial or insignificant details. We would always start by simply nagging the other about something that bothered us, which would progress to yelling, and eventually I would end up smacking him in the arm, where he would scoop me up in his arms and hold me tightly to his chest, the two of us laughing and smiling all the way. This was one of the things that I loved about Emmett, that all of our conflicts ended this way, with happiness and love. However, there was one negative aspect to this sort of end--that the conflicts were never solved, and would stay in the back of our minds. At some level, we both knew that one day, these issues would need to be solved, but neither of us wanted to deal with it. We were scared. We were scared of what would happen if we could not resolve them.

I sat on my plush, deep red comforter with my hand on my head, while my left hand clutched tightly onto my phone. Glancing out my window, I saw the last stream of sunlight fade into the darkening sky. Trees whistled softly in the light wind, stirring the landscape free from the songs of birds or crickets. My feet were chilled as they touched my maple floor, and I curled my toes around my plaid pink and black pajama pants to cover them. The soft, yellow light from the ceiling fan that hung above my bed gave my room a gentle, calming feel. I was anything but calm. Debating back and forth in my head whether or not I should call the man that I loved, I laid back farther on my bed and crossed my legs underneath me.

All I could think about was the question should I or shouldn't I. This had been the longest time that we stayed apart; nearly three weeks. Thinking back to that day, fresh tears streamed down my face, taking with them the last of my mascara, leaving long, dark marks down my face.

It had been a relatively uneventful day, to start with at least. About once or twice a week, Emmett and I would spend lunch in my car to be alone, and free from questioning eyes.

"What's with you lately, huh Rose? You have been sort of uptight."

"I'm uptight! Did you ever stop to think that maybe I am a little stressed out lately?"

"What do you possibly have to be worried about?"

"Oh, I don't know, perhaps the fact that you want to drop out of school!!"

"Rosie, baby, please. I am sixteen, and besides, what would the future star of the NFL need high school for?"

"You will need it if you want a scholarship, you idiot!"

"Who says I need a scholarship? I play in our league, and about once a year they send a scout from USC. All I need to do is play."

"So you're not even going to try to finish school. You are just going to lay around on your lazy ass all day while I try to make something of myself." I said, my eyes welling up. Emmett leaned back into the passenger seat, and put his mammoth hand to his head.

"Look at you! You have straight C's or less, and you don't hear me complaining. Seriously, what could you possibly do even if you do become a model until you are twenty seven, nothing!"

"Look, I am just saying it's bad enough that you got suspended last year for hitting those two dweebs, now this? God, Emmett."

"What, you telling me that you feel sorry for those two losers?"

"No, but it still wasn't right."

"Come on, Rosie baby, you said it didn't bother you except that I missed four days of school. You even told me how Alice and Bella were laughing at their pathetic faces..."

"Yeah, about that..." He just stared at me, eyes widened in disbelief.

"What...you did say that Alice and Bella thought it was hysterical, right?"

"Emmett, I uh, sorta lied about that." He exhaled deeply, and tension was easily read across his face. "I am sorry, it's just, you were feeling a little guilty after you did that, and I just wanted to make you feel better..." I reached for his hand, but was interrupted in words and actions as he ripped his arm away from my nearing hand.

"Are you kidding me right now? Rosalie, it feels like I don't even know you anymore." Silence echoed through the parking lot. I knew what was about to be said, and I could not bear the thought of it. The edges of my heart began to thin as the sides prepared to be torn apart. "I can't do this anymore. I love you, I love you more than anything, but it just seems like...there are too many obstacles. It just doesn't seem like this is meant to be." The tenderness in his voice was unbearable. "Rose, are--are you okay?"

"Just get out." I said, sniffling and stifling back my tears

"Are you sure?"

"Emmett, get the hell out of my car!" Putting my hand up over my moistened eyes, not wanting to see my love leave, all that I heard was the squeak of the car door open and the click of it shutting. Sobbing, I began to wipe the tears from eyes as I flipped down the mirror in my sun visor.

In the distance, I saw a boy about my age walking into the school at a quickened pace. I remembered seeing him pass near my car when Emmett and I were arguing, especially the strange color of his hair and eyes. Sniffling once more as realization struck, I knew this was the man that Bella had ran after on the first day of school. My intrigue was peaked, but the object of my best friend's affection was the last thing I wanted to think about.

The bell rang, and I decided to skip class this once. My heart had split down the middle, and the wounds it had created were raw and aching. They had never healed. Days and weeks passed slowly, and Bella and Alice had expressed their concern, but I of course, acted rash, and they let me be.

There I sat, as I did every night, with my phone in my hand and a bowl of chocolate icing on my nightstand. Neither did any good. My eyes were red and swollen with purple circles beneath them, my hair had been left in its natural waves, not having been straightened in weeks, my mouth drooped at the corners and was free from the pink lip gloss that I usually wore. The only cosmetics on my bathroom counter that had been used was the thin bottle of mascara, and my eye liner and shadow had been left unused.

As I recalled that terrible day, salt rubbed in my wounds, the faint memory of the bronze haired-boy that passed my car with a scowl on his face came to mind. Willing to do anything to stop the tears, or the memory of Emmett, I lept off my bed and dug around my closet for last year's yearbook. Flipping through the book, I first remembered the name that Bella had told me the day she found out his last name, Cullen. My fingers flipped through the shiny pages at rapid speeds while my blue eyes scanned the names below.

Finding the sophomore class, I found the page with the 'C's on them. Calvin, Cole, Cullen. The blank white square did not have a picture, only black text that read 'picture not available', above the name Edward Cullen. Returning to my closet, I reached in for the yearbook from my Freshmen year. The same students were on the same page: Calvin, Cole, Cullen...My breath ceased. Greasy, long dark hair hung in his eyes which were hidden partially behind the glare of his glasses. Braces were present on his teeth that showed in an awkward smile that was anything but genuine.

Edward Cullen. The same man that Bella mumbled about in her slumbers at my last sleep over. The same man who Emmett beat up last year. Thinking back to the night that my love had punched their faces in, remembering the twinges of guilt that knotted his stomach, now twisted mine. Guilt was a feeling I had no memory of feeling before, and it was more intense than I could ever imagine. Hanging up my phone, I decided not to tell Bella just quite yet. It was hard to see the color of his eyes behind his glasses, or the color of his eyes behind the...grease. Ew. I did know what was going to occupy myself on the loneliest day of the week--Saturday--. I rifled through my closet for the third time, and came across the school directory. Sure enough, the Cullen's address was listed next to his name.

Sliding into the thick covers of my bed, I tried to prepare what I was going to say tomorrow, and convinced myself that I was in fact, going to go through with my plan. Slipping into sleep, dreams of the warm arms that had once embraced me were replaced by cold air, and his smile was replaced by a puff of smoke as he dissapeared from me. The smoke drifted out of my window as I tried to grab hold of him, with no such luck.

Sunlight streamed through my window, sending orange beams onto my face. When I awoke, my nose was congested, and my eyes were wet. I had cried in my sleep. This strange feat was the only thing that could possibly keep my mind off of the pain radiating through my chest.

For the first time, I was going to do something for someone other than me.The time had come when I was sure that my life's happiness had already passed me, but for once, I was going to do the un-selfish thing. Even if I never got the chance to make it up to Emmett, I was going to make it up to Edward.


	19. False Impressions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. I wish. Really, I do.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 19- False Impressions

Stepping out of the shower, steamed filled the humid air that filled the confines of my bathroom. Wiping off the mirror with my towel, I began the task of blow drying my hair, not for appearance's sake, but for time. There was no way I was stepping out into the chilled air outside with wet hair without catching hypothermia. I had no time for potentially deadly occurances due to weather today. There was something more important to be done. Pulling my favorite red, long sleeve shirt over my head and pulling my wavy hair over it, I decided to wear my faded jeans that were rarely worn instead of the tight skinny jeans that gave little room for movement. The comfort was forgein to me, but I accepted it. Not bothering to put in any earrings or hair clips, I brushed on my mascara rapidly and slid into my boots.

I grabbed my keys from the table beside the door, and headed to my car. The volume on my radio was low, and the squeal of my tires against the wet asphalt was audible. In my hand there was a peice of white paper with the Mapquest directions to the house where the Cullens resided. Nearly missing the overgrown road to their dwelling, I sharply turned and followed the snaking road for miles, wondering if I was lost. As I was about to turn around, a white mansion came into view.

Picturesque was the only fitting word to describe it. Branches of pine and cedar hung gently over the porch, guarding this diamond in the woods with their feathery needles. The rushing sound of a nearby water echoed through the woods, birds sang softly, and gray light that shone through the clouds dripped onto the matted soil, creating silver rays that could only be created by angels. I parked in front of this beautiful scene, and walked nervously up the steps.

My stomach churned with anxiety as my hand knocked gently on the door. Waiting for an answer, I prepared my speech in my head. A few minutes later, the door creaked open to reveal someone who had just woken up. Bronze colored hair stuck out at all angles, giving him the same sort of style worn by Einstein. Green, plaid pajama pants hung loosely around him, as opposed to the gray t-shirt that stretched flatteringly across his muscular chest. Melon-green eyes were partially obscured by squinting lids, as if he was trying to see something in the distance. This could not possibly be the dorky kid in the glossy pages of the yearbook I had looked through last night, could it? This man was handsome in the worst respect. He could not compare to Emmett, not even close, but I could see what drew Bella to him.

"Uh, hello?" His voice was rough as he leaned groggily against the door frame.

"You're Edward Cullen, right?" Please say yes, I thought to myself. How embarrassing would it have been if I had gone to the wrong house?

"Uh, yeah." He dragged his hand across his sleepy face, his eyes still seeming like they were trying to focus on something.

"There is something I wanted to talk to you about, if it's alright." Edward stood there, trying to process what I had said. He was somewhat out of it.

"I am sorry if I sound rude, but I don't have my contact lenses in, and I can't really see well...who are you?"

"Oh, right. Rosalie Hale, from school." That would explain the way his face was contorted.

"Rosalie? Really? I mean, come in." Edward still seemed half-asleep, and his voice dripped with surprise. Stepping through the door, he closed it behind me and gestured into the interior of the house. "Don't worry, my parents aren't here, the living room is...somewhere in that direction." His finger pointed in the vague direction of a cluster of chairs and tables. He must have terrible vision..."If you will excuse me, I need to wake up a little. Help yourself to something to drink if you want." The shock in his voice only began to subside then. Disappearing into a nearby hall, I wondered, mortified, if I had made a mistake in the two identities.

Taking a seat on the red couch, my eyes glazed the room. Stacks of books lined the ceiling-high bookshelf, all thick literary volumes or scientific findings. A white, glossy piano stood silently in the corner, with the light from the wall made purely out of glass shining on the top. Everything about this house was bright. Only the red couch and the wall if faded, multi-colored novels and dictionaries on the wall were not matching the color scheme of varying shades of white. Drumming my fingers on my lap, footsteps came into earshot.

Edward had entered the room, his hair combed and black, rectangular-rimmed designer glasses creating a familiar glare over his green eyes. As he sat down beside me, I knew that my identification had been accurate. He was different, but it was him.

"Um, hi." I said, stirring the silence.

"Yeah, you said you had something to tell me?" He asked, waiting. Inhaling deeply, I began, without my planned speech. It seemed too conventional to me.

"This is going to sound really strange, but there is only one way to say it." He continued to look at me, confusion readable all over his face. "I..I know who you are, Edward. I mean, I know who you were. Last night, I was looking through my yearbooks, and I found your picture from Freshmen year." His hand reached up to his face, anguish replacing confusion. It was as if he knew what I came to talk about, only not in the way that I meant it.

"Can't you just leave me alone? Why do you think I did this?" Edward was beginning to get defensive, and it was time for me to start talking.

"Wait, before you jump to conclusions, just hear me out. Please." Motionless, he allowed me to continue. "Look, to be frank, I wanted to apologize for something, something I said, and never should have. A while ago, you walked by my car during lunch time, right?" He nodded. "I think you may have overheard an argument between me and my...well, um, Emmett Tucker." It hurt too much to say ex-boyfriend. It made it all that much more real. "It will be easier if you tell me what you heard."

He exhaled, and complied.

"I heard you say something about what Emmett did last year...and then he got kinda mad and said that Bella and Alice thought it was...funny." Anger embroidered the last word.

"And that's everything?"

"Yes."

"There was something you didn't hear. I am so sorry, Edward, but, that was a lie." He looked at me, confused once more. "Bella and Alice never laughed at you, they would never do that. Neither did I, for that matter." I paused, waiting for a response, only to find silence and shock. His shoulders slumped in understanding, but he still stared at the couch blankly. "I can't say that we lost sleep over what happened, but I can say that we did not like it."

He chuckled darkly. I did not know him very well at all, but I could tell he had a temper.

"So, because you did not approve, that was not reason enough to keep your boyfriend on a leash? You had to let him punch the daylights out of me and my friend?"

"I am not saying you're wrong, but I had never seen Emmett guilty before that night. He didn't exactly want to do it, but he just, he is-was very protective of me, and for someone like him, your friend..."

"Jasper."

"Jasper, staring at me was reason for provocation." He laughed again, and worry creased my forehead.

"God, you don't know anything." Anger raged through my eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"He had no reason at all!"

"I already said it wasn't right, but that's just how he responds to things..."

"No! I mean that Jasper wasn't staring..." His voice trailed, seeming unsure of how to go on.

"Of course he was! He was all googly-eyed, I saw him!"

"You didn't let me finish." Edward's voice lowered, becoming softer, and tension rolled off of my shoulders. "What I meant to say was, Jasper wasn't staring at _you_." Now it was I who was stunned. Not me? Who else could it have been? He sighed, and continued. "Do you remember that day well? Like, where you and your friends were standing?"

"I vaguely recall Bella by her locker, and Aly was in front of me...why?"

"Jasper wasn't staring at you. He was staring at Alice." As little as I wanted to admit it, there was no way he could be wrong. It made perfect sense. All of it. Our stories both fit. We had both been under false impressions.

"Alice? Really?"

"Yes. Rosalie, I need you to promise me something."

"Of course, what is it?" Normally, I would have specified my answer, but this man was a gentlemen, and I trusted him. I also needed to repay him.

"Please, don't tell anyone about this. He isn't ready to tell her yet."

"His secret is safe with me." I promised. "She isn't dating anyone, you know, and she has a soft spot for blonds." I hinted.

"He's scared to death. He really likes her, and he isn't ready yet." Silence broke the atmosphere for a moment.

"He really likes her a lot, doesn't he?" I said, remembering the look in his eyes.

"Yes. He really does." He said solemnly.

"Well, now that everything is cleared up, I just really wanted to say sorry about what happened, about both of them." Sincerity rang through my gentle voice.

"Thank you. It is accepted. By both of us." The corner's of his lips rose a little, showing me his sincerity.

"I have already imposed on you too much. I should go."

"If you want, you can stay. I make killer pancakes." Edward bragged with a smile on his face. That I could not refuse. Pancaked were my weakness, and it was nice to befriend someone new.

We sat around the kitchen table, talking mostly between bites. I had to admit, he did make killer pancakes. I also had to laugh when he forgot to turn off the stove hood fan, and the steam fogged up his glasses. Sure, we made jokes, but mostly there were questions.

"So, what made you want to change your looks?" I asked, taking another bite of pancake and syrup.

"A lot of things, really. Partially having my nose broken."

"How did that happen?" He looked at me and tilted his head to the side, as Alice sometimes did. "Oh, right."

"Naw, I was just sick of the jokes really. And Jasper made me, too." He told me vague details about the days that had converted him into what he was now, and even how the local gym got a new window...

"And yet, your entire wall of window is still in tact..." I said, teasing.

"Everything they say about you _is_ true.. you are a bitch!" I smacked him on the arm for his joke. An hour after I had came, I left the white house by the river, waving. It was nice to just be friends with a guy, with no intentions of every being anything more. I was still hung up over Emmett, and had politely refused to talk to Edward about it, but it he was easy to be around. No attachment, no social worries, no other eyes looking in, just two people talking over pancakes. I had bored Alice and Bella with my troubles, and now I felt refreshed, since I had shed all my worries but one while talking to Edward. leaving room for laughter and jokes with my girl friends. I had came to the house under a false impression of someone else, and left with a new one of myself.


	20. Digging Myself Out

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. You didn't think I did, did you?

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 20- Digging Myself Out

I sat back down on my couch in disbelief. I, Edward Cullen, had not only just eaten breakfast and had a pleasant conversation with Rosalie Hale, but I had also learned the truth, as I told her truth. Bella and Alice had not been laughing at our misery. If anything, they were concerned. Rifling my hands through my tousled hair, I decided it was time that I took a shower. Slipping off my pajamas, the hot water ran soothingly down my chest, creating transparent beads on my skin. My hair was drenched in water and sudsy shampoo. Rubbing my fingers on my scalp, it finally occurred to me that what just happened was real. I had another ally. Now, how to tell Jazz.

Rinsing my hair and turning off the dial, this thought echoed through my mind. How to tell Jasper. Well, I was not sure whether I should tell him that Rosalie knew, but I did know I had to tell him that I had misunderstood about Alice laughing at us. It pained me to know that I had told him something that ripped his heart in two, and I would always regret it for as long as it stood clearly in my memory. Rubbing the towel over my body, I then slid on my jeans and then my favorite ivory-colored turtleneck. Walking into my room, I laced up my converse and draped a tan colored scarf around my neck, then pulling my leather jacket over my ever-widening shoulders.

Dialing the phone, I heard a familiar voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Jasper?"

"Who else?"

"Right. Want to meet up somewhere? There is something I need to tell you about."

"What is it? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, every thing's good. I'll tell you the story later, but I was wrong about Alice. She never laughed at us. She was concerned." Silence. "Jazz?"

"YOU TALKED TO ALICE!!" I held the phone away from my ear to prevent becoming deaf.

"Don't pop an artery, Jasper, I talked to Rosalie." I said with utter nonchalance.

"Why did you talk to Rosalie?"

"I'll tell you everything later, where do you want to meet up?"

"Uh, how about the coffee shop?"

"Sure thing. I'll pick you up."

"Wait, is Rosalie coming?"

"No--why would she?"

"I don't know, just hurry, I am going out of my mind."

"I can tell."

"See you at my house, Edward."

"See you then." I hung up the phone and jogged to the beaming Volvo that had attached itself to my heart. The interior still smelled of new car; the best smell in the world. Adjusting my mirrors accordingly, I sped down the road to my friend's home. The house stood still as it always did, free from his parents as mine were. As soon as he had heard the gentle purr of my motor, Jasper was out the door racing to my car when I stopped him.

"Your shirt's backwards, Jazz." Sure enough, he turned around to see that his light blue button down shirt had the buttons running down his back.

"Dammit." He raced back into the house as I released a laugh. A minute or so later, he buckled himself in and commanded me to start. I replayed the entire scene, nearly word for word when we were in line at the coffee shop.

"Sooo, she knows."

"She knows more than we did. Of course she does." His voice was quiet, as he was still digesting the information I had spat at him.

"So, what specifically does she know?" I knew he would ask this, only I wish he wouldn't.

"She knows who we were, and Seattle. She also knows about Alice." Shock widened his eyes as he stared down at me angrily.

"You told her! She is the gossip queen of the school! You've ruined me, Edward."

"Please, just listen to me. She is not going to tell anyone. Besides, do you think that she would put someone she felt guilty about getting beaten up in that kind of position? I know she has always been shallow, but I think she grew a heart." I said, convincingly. He seemed to accept it.

"This is not How the Grinch Stole Christmas, either you have a heart or you don't, you can't just conjure one up."

"Maybe she always had one, and just never used it." I replied. We ordered our drinks, and sat in a pair of plush chairs in the corner. Jasper sipped his coffee slowly, processing what I had suggested.

"Maybe you're right. If we can change on the outside, why can't she on the inside?" He asked rhetorically, but sincerely.

"Exactly. Besides, what do we have against her now? It was all a big misunderstanding." He agreed, and while he was happier, he needed something to cheer him up after that boulder I had pushed on him before. "Also, Rosalie tells me that she is single."

"I already knew that."

"Let me finish. She also said she has a soft spot for blonds." I raised one eyebrow as an idiotic smile nearly tore his face in two.

"She really said that?" Jasper was beaming, and I knew I was truly forgiven when I presented this information. The golden hair that hung straight down around his face was the lightest, and shiniest out of any of the guys at school, even Mike Newton. Chuckles escaped his lips, and while I could not understand this intense reaction over such a small tidbit of information, I wished that I could. Desperately hoping that I could have the same kind of love that he had, where every moment away from the other was true torture.

"Come on, loverboy, there's a Civil War book in the library with your name on it." Knowing fully well he would not be able to concentrate on anything but the pixie-like girl he loved, I wanted to get some homework done, and this was as good of a time as ever as he sat still, dizzy from emotional excitement.

We had spent the entire day at the library, and after a few hours Jasper was competent enough to work on our math homework together. While our fingers tapped on the various buttons of our calculators, I knew that Rosalie was not the only one who was owed an apology.

Monday had come once more, and I slid into the chair in front of the black lab table. After pulling my notebooks and textbook out of my backpack, my fingers had nothing to do but drum on the table. A minute before the bell rang, Bella Swan slid nervously into her chair. Flustered, she rifled through her bag, searching for her books. In her haste, she dropped her notebook between us, and mumbled an apology.Before she could stop me, I bent down and scooped up the spiral notebook for her.

"Here you go." I said, with a hint of a smile on my face. She was stunned, to say the least. I had to say, I was a little sick of faces of shock, but I continued in her silence. "Sorry I have been a little short with you recently, I kind of had a bad week or two." I waited for a response, but all I got was the sudden closing of her mouth. Her chocolate eyes were still widened, and her cheeks burned with blush. "I'm Edward." I said.

"Bella." Was all her weak voice allowed. The bell rang, and we were silent once more. The entire period consisted of notes, preparation for tomorrow's lab. That was when I would continue. Our first lab of the year, where partners were forced to talk to the other. I was not intent of becoming friends with her, necessarily, but I was planning on becoming friend_ly_. It was not like me to act harshly against people, and I did not enjoy it as much as I thought it would.

All that I could do now was wait, and let things go the way they were supposed to.

I met up with Jasper in the cafeteria, and told him of my endeavor.

"Good for you, Edward. I'm glad you're finally getting over yourself." I ignored that, and opened my mouth to speak when we were interrupted by Mike Newton.

"Hey Jasper, hey Edward!" He said, almost too casually. Sure, we had sat with him a few times, but we never hung out at any other time.

"Hi Mike." We answered.

"Want to sit with us today?" Before we could answer, he continued. "Guess what? Emmett Tucker came back."

"What do you mean, came back?" I asked.

"Didn't you hear? He dropped out!"

"We did." Jasper said, his anxiety increasing.

"Well, he's back! He's having a party at his house tonight, and he wants me and a few other people to come, and I thought if you guys sat with us today, he would invite you too." Jasper and I exchanged looks, for we had felt as if a mountain of relief had been taken off our shoulders since Emmett had quit school, and having him back, no less going to one of his parties, was something we had not prepared ourselves for.

"Uh, I guess so."

"Awesome! See you guys over there." Mike said enthusiastically, and then walked back with his tray of food where a group of the 'popular' guys sat, which now included the brawny Emmett. Was it possible that he had gotten bigger in the last few weeks?

"What the hell are you thinking?" Jazz whispered with panic in his voice.

"Calm down, Jasper, it will be fine. It's not as if he recognizes us, Rosalie would have said something."

"Of course, perfect Rosalie wouldn't keep anything from you..." I smacked him on the arm, making him flinch slightly.

"You know what I mean. Look, if he knew who we were, do you think we would still be alive?"

"You have a point..." He agreed.

"Besides, if we go to his party, it will be like, closure, or something. Plus, it might make us seem more..."

"More like what?"

"Like what we look like. Cool people. Cool people go to parties, right?" I felt like a kinder-gardener with my speech.

"Right..."

"It's already a month into the school year, and we haven't been to one yet, and if we want to keep this up, or become this, or whatever, we should show our faces once in a while."

"You're right. I hate you, but you're right." We took our places at the table, the opposite end from Emmett.

"Hey guys! Glad you came!" How lame could Newton be? And he was supposed to be the cream of the crop? Maybe we didn't have as much competition as I thought. "Emmett, that's Edward, and that's Jasper." Great. Emmett was looking right at us, and worse than that, he was _headed_ toward us. I could feel Jasper trembling beside me, as my hands were. I mentally prepared myself to drag Jazz back to my dad, and even a speech to him about how it happened. He grabbed each of our shoulders tightly, and it was all that I could do to keep from wincing.

"Great! New meat! Where you two newbies from?" Uh oh...

"Houston." My friend blurted out in his voice, exaggerating his slight accent just enough for it to be recognized, but still remain sublte.

"And you?" I could not think, and I spat out the first thing that came to mind.

"Same." I said. His expression was confused, and so I filled in the hole that I had dug for myself. "Er--not originally. I was raised here, but..."

"Awesome! So you two coming to my house tonight?" Thankfully, Emmett did not seem interested in details. We chattered through the hour, mostly about the party.

"Inhale." I reminded my friend. He did as told, and soon the day was over. Pulling out of the parking lot, the red BMW M3 glided beside us. Rosalie gave a small wave, first to me, than to Jasper. We returned the gesture, and were on our way.

Thinking about the party tonight, I could not keep my mind on the subject. My conscious thoughts drifted around random things. I thought about how I tried to make it up to Bella Swan, how I was now friends with Rosalie, and how she knew about the truth, as had I. I knew what had to be done. There were still holes to be patched up, and holes that I had dug filled in. Now all I needed was a shovel in which to do so.


	21. The Reality of Dreams

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. Don't sue.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 21- The Reality of Dreams

Waiting outside of my Biology class, I wished with all my heart that Edward Cullen would be absent, while also wishing that he was there. I drank in every movement, and word he wrote and every note his voice hit as he spoke. The silky, fluidity of his voice sent noticeable shivers down my spine even in the shortest of answers that he gave when asked. His gleaming eyes took in every observation, memorized every note written by the teacher without any effort. A plus was the only grade that was written in red ink at the top of his tests, ranking him top of the class.

He wore only designer clothes, all perfectly coordinated. He always seemed to wear fitted shirts and sweaters, allowing me to see his muscles ripple over his shoulders as his fingers glided across his notebook effortlessly. The concentration in his eyes were remarkable; they never permitted any detail to remain un-noticed or absent from his notes. The bronze hair that I had come to love shone subtly in the florescent lights, giving him an appearance more heavenly than the kindest angel. Not one word escaped his lips that did not make my heart flutter and float. However, the few sentences he spoke were never to me. Since my very first day in class, I had not received any acknowledgement of my presence from Edward Cullen.

Entering the room as late as possible so as to avoid another glare from those shocking eyes, I sank into my seat a few moments before the bell was struck. Butterflies rumbled in my stomach, sending trembles down my useless fingers. Unable to grasp the corner of my notebook, my books toppled out of my bag and onto the floor beside me. Beside Edward. I mentally prepared myself to lean down between us to pick it up when a pale hand firmly held my Biology book in front of me. A faint smile graced his pale pink lip as his back was still slouched from bending down. He looked up at me, the melon orbs that swam around his porclein eyes merely a foot away from mine.

"Here you go." The angel nearly sang in his musical voice. "Sorry I have been a little short with you recently, I kind of had a bad week or two." Speech could not penetrate my vocal chords, for the shock allowed only thoughts of pessismism into my mind. Surely he was setting me up for some sort of joke or let-down. He could not possibly be sincere, could he? "I'm Edward."

What was my name? Who was I? All I knew was Edward, and all I knew was that I somehow had to conjure up a name before he thought I was a complete idiot. Not that I was not an idiot, but it did not mean that I wanted _him _to know that. Of course, he probably already knew that before I did. He knew everything and more.

"Bella." I choked out in my roughest, raspiest voice--the complete opposite from the symphonies that left his throat. The second bell rang its shrill note, and the mysteriously polite man beside me angled himself toward the board once again. Clouds shielded my vision and thoughts, and the only sentences that I could mentally form repeated like a broken record. _Edward. Edward Cullen. Edward Cullen spoke to me. Edward._ The day passed in a fog, and before I was aware of the present, black leather was felt beneath my finger tips as Alice waved her hand in front of my glazed eyes.

"Bella? Earth to Bella? Bella!" Her chipper voice chimed.

"Huh? What's up?"

"You tell me." She said with an evil smile on her face and a sparkle in her eye that told me she had a vague idea on the reason for my spaciness.

"Well, um, Edward Cullen kinda..."

"What did he do?? Oooo tell me tell me tell me!!" Alice bounced excitedly in her seat, clapping her hands to her own rhythm of speech.

"Calm down, Alice. I guess it was nothing really. I dropped my book on the floor..."

"Surprise, surprise." I scowled and continued.

"And he picked it up for me."

"And...?" She always knew when I left out details.

"And, he apologized for glaring at me the first day." Her eyes widened; I hadn't told her about that menacing stare that could still send shivers down my spine. "Long story. But he also sort of introduced himself."

"What did you say?"

"Bella."

"That's it?" Alice seemed disappointed.

"I couldn't really speak. But, he smiled. That's good right?"

"Bella, he picked up a book for you, smiled, apologized, and introduced himself. That's very good. Now, I am not saying he is interested necessarily, but he is not mad at you anymore."

"I hope so." She pulled out of the parking lot with Rosalie behind us, and the silver Volvo that drew my eyes toward it like magnets was beside her. I could have sworn I had seen her wave.

"Emmett's back in school."

"Since when?" It was hard to believe that neither Rosalie or I had noticed him; he was hard to miss.

"Today."

"Why?"

"Who knows. He's having a party tonight, though. A whole bunch of people are going--Newton, Yorkie, Crowley, and these two new guys from Houston or somewhere."

"Houston? That's random."

"Seriously. Rumor has it that they are more on the wanted list than Mike."

"That's not hard to imagine...wait, it couldn't be Edward, could it?" I had never thought of him as being a party person, but then again I had never thought of him as a friendly person until today. "Two people, right? It could be that blond guy he is always hanging out with..."

"Blond, huh?"

"Yeah." We debated the matter of our attendance in our minds when I interrupted the silence. "We can't go, can we? Not with Rose, it would kill her." I decided solemnly.

"No. Friends first, right?"

"Right." After saying our goodbyes, I walked into the empty house that I called my own. Deciding to make sausages and potatoes, I prepared the pan and chopped the potatoes. With nothing left to do and my homework completed, I opened up my copy of Wuthering Heights that seemed more like Withering Heights due to all of the wear and tear this novel had suffered. Enveloping myself in the romance, I rested my head on my hand and sipped from my glass of iced tea. The turn of a key in the lock would not tear my eyes from the pages I had read so many times before as Charlie came in.

"Hey Bells."

"Hey Dad." I said, glancing at him briefly.

"Mmm, what's cooking?" I smiled, and put down the book where the binding laid flat against the tabletop still open to my page.

"Nothing yet. Sausage and potatoes." He made another yummy sound, and pulled up the chair next to mine.

"Bella, there is something I want to talk to you about." Oh no, what could this be? There was nothing I had done that could be worthy of punishment, have I? Groaning internally, I waited for him to continue. "First, I want to say how proud of you I am that you are doing so well in your studies. I uh, also am very pleased in your attitude, and your general behavior." This took me by surprise.

"Really? I mean, thanks."

"So, I have decided to give you some freedom." In his palm, metal and plastic lay in the arrangement of a key. A _car_ key.

"Dad! You didn't have to buy me a car!" I wrapped my arms around him so tightly I nearly strangled him."

"I didn't have to. I wanted to, Bells. You deserve it." I squealed and pulled him behind me as I raced to the driveway to see my new car. Well, it wasn't new exactly, but new to me. Parked near the front lawn was a faded red Chevy pick up truck. The body was rounded and vintage, and looked intimidating to any car that was not iron-pleated. I loved it, and it suited me perfectly. I hugged Charlie once more, and laughed at the tiny Christmas bow that was taped to the hood.

It was more than a car that I had received. I had received freedom. This day had truly been a turning point.

After cooking up dinner, the steam filled kitchen was warm and welcoming as I read through the book I had set down. A baseball game hummed in the background, and the cheers coming from my father let me know that his team was winning. The steam had dissipated, and the clock read a later time than I had expected. I retreated to my room with my book and huddled the purple comforter around me. As I lay there, trying to fall asleep, my eyes looked out the window, searching the forest for a sight that I did not come across. The vast, dark green and gray thickets were surrounded by a pillowy fog, making it seem as if this were heaven, and the trees had sprouted directly from the clouds themselves.

For all that it mattered, it may as well be heaven. I had been granted the freedom of owning an automobile that not only worked well but could not have suited me better, the sweet, ringing voice of my new lab partner had been focused to me for the very first time, leaving me with a smile on my face as I fell into a dream.

It was dark, and the misty fog around the trees wrapped itself around me, sending chills down my spine. It reached around my shoulders as if it were human arms embracing me. A soft, silent wind caressed my cheek as I stood silent, still. The cloud behind me seemed to take on a human form, and as I turned my head to look behind me, there they were. Piercing green eyes hovered in the face of the fog that formed a translucent phantom. His white, smoky fingers reached out to my cheek, and that is when I did something that I did not understand. My hand reached out, punching him in the side of his face. Though my arm went through the ghostly figure, he responded as a human would if I had any strength in my arms.

My dream self looked away, not allowing me to see the transformation take place. On the ground where the phantom was supposed to have fallen, laid a materialized boy about a year younger than I. The picture was blurry, disturbed by my consciousness slowly beginning to return. My eyes fought the sensation, straining to see who it was that I had hit. Blood dripped onto the ground, and the boy simply stayed there in agony.

My hand reached out for his shoulder, but when my fingers neared him, he vanished into the ground below him. A finger tapped me on my shoulder; Alice and Rosalie were standing behind me. Crouching down to the ground where all that remained of the boy was a twisted pair of glasses, my friend's faces contorted into sinister masks. They grinned evilly, and their sinister eyes glared down at me. Their hands seized my arms and waist, pulling me back, tearing me from the patch of soil where the glasses laid.

"Wait! I want to know if he is okay!" I screamed and thrashed, but with no result. They tore me back, for miles even, when they dropped me to the ground. Alice was staring straight ahead, eyes focused on something in the distance. A blond haired man beckoned for her with his finger, drawing her closer to him They embraced, eyes locked on the other, when they too, faded into the atmosphere. Soon, the other hand that had imprisoned me released me, and Rosalie walked off in the direction where Alice had disappeared. Sure enough, Emmett stood there, anger in his eyes. She begged silently at his feet, begging him to forgive her with her eyes. He reached his mammoth hand for her cheek, and as his skin touched hers, she vanished, leaving only him and I.

Our eyes met the others, and soon another form joined us. Reddish brown hair and violently green eyes that had once belonged to the phantom materialized to become Edward. He stood to the right of me, smiling subtly. My hands reached for his, and as our flesh nearly made contact, he morphed into the boy who had faded into the mossy floor below. I screamed his name, desperately trying to will him back to life. Looking to Emmett for help, he too evaporated into the air. My hands clawed at the dirt, not knowing what I would find, calling his name all the while...

"Edward...Edward...Edward..." I awoke to my mumbling as the sunrise poured orange light over my face. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and my hands were digging into my mattress, nearly tearing the sheet. I did not know why Edward had become the boy that I had hit, that I had seen Emmett hit almost a year before. What I did know was, that if I let either of them go, then everyone else I knew would disappear, and I would be left searching for the remains of my life's purpose. What scared me was not the dream itself, but the reality of it being the end of my life.


	22. The Surrealism of Dreams

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. No, really.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 22- The Surrealism of Dreams

My hands flew through my closet, searching for appropriate attire. I had already googled the sort of things one would wear to a party, but found only advertisements for costume rentals and catering services. Not stooping low enough to have to ask my parents--or Jasper's--for advice, I decided to take a risk and dress myself for once. Knowing that the party was casual, I settled on the articles of clothing that I felt most comfortable in. Over my black undershirt, I shrugged on my favorite black button down shirt and rolled the sleeves up to my elbow. Pulling a pair of black jeans on, my phone began to ring relentlessly.

I answered the phone as I zipped up my pants.

"Hello?"

"Edward, it's Jasper."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Yeah, uh, I am not really sure what to wear to this thing." Laughter echoed through my throat as he said this. "Yeah, sure. Funny for perfect Mr. Cullen."

"Sorry. I'm just wearing a shirt and jeans."

"Alright. Edward?"

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Are you sure about this?"

"I already told you, if Emmett had known us.."

"That's not what I mean. What if we can't pull this off? What if we make ourselves look like idiots?" I thought about this for a moment.

"When you've got nothing to lose, right?" I offered, quoting him.

"Nothing that isn't mine yet...anyway, you're picking me up at nine thirty, right?"

"Yeah. See you then."

"Kay. Bye." I hung up the receiver, and looked at the clock. 8:45 it read. I had half of an hour until I had to drive to my friend's house, and I still had to put on my shoes, give time for my cell phone to charge, dry my hair, and phsyc myself out enough to keep me and Jasper calm, an accomplishment I was starting to become quite good at. I had been lacing up my gray converse when the phone rang once more. Groaning, I raced to the phone, hopping on one foot with the white laces still in my hand.

"Come, on Jasper, do you have to call..."

"Uh, Edward?" It was the wrong voice at the end of the receiver.

"Mike? Uh, hi?" I was not even aware that Newton possessed my phone number. Creepy.

"Yeah. You're coming tonight, right?" Had it been that I had not already specified this?

"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?" If he was asking me for a wardrobe consultation, I was hanging up.

"Good. Um, I just wanted to warn you about something. Something about Emmett." The color seeped down my face as these words crossed my ears, my life flashed before my eyes. Visions of giant fists flying toward my face appeared before me, knocking me into darkness and pain, drops of blood dripped silently onto a white floor. "You knew how he was going out with Rosalie Hale, right?"

"Listen, man, maybe it's best if I.."

"Wait, well, they broke up a few weeks ago, and he is really sensitive about it, so it's best not to mention her. Just wanted to let you know." Hope lifted the veil of fear from my system, perhaps I had misunderstood.

"That's it?"

"Should there be more?"

"No! I mean, no. Thanks for telling me."

"Sure thing. See you tonight." We hung up, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I quickly blow dried my hair and messed it up with my fingers. After a few more calls from random-party goers and twenty minutes, I was within the comfortable confines of my Volvo and was en route toward the Whitlock's. Bolting down the porch steps, Jasper yanked his black leather coat over his shoulders, obscuring the view of his gray t-shirt with shimmering, silver designs sprawling across it. Blue, faded jeans dragged on the dirt below his black shoes, and as he ran he pulled his hand through his blond hair.

We fought over the radio, and before we knew it, we were in front of a house teaming with life and nearly shaking with the violent pulses of bass. People around us stared at the car, for most of the vehicles were faded hand-me downs or used cars.

"Here goes nothing." I said as we got out of the car. We walked into the house to find clusters of students already dancing and drinking punch out of red, plastic cups. Not knowing whether it was spiked or not, and not willing to take the chance, I decided to abstain from the bowl. The bear who resided here rushed up to greet us.

"Jasper! Edward! Glad you guys came." He shook our shoulders as he had done at the lunch table, and though we knew what to expect, it did not calm our anxiety. After ducking from his tree-trunk arms, he motioned for us to sit with him on his couch. Squished between Mike and Emmett, with Jasper on the other side of the brute, claustrophobia threatened to sink in, especially due to whom it was that I was pressed against.

"So. Houston." Emmett said to us. "What's it like over there?" Thankfully, Jazz answered before I needed to.

"Hot. Hot, dry, and dusty. And cows. And horses. Farms, a lot of farms, too."

"Basically, completely different than Forks, eh?"

"Like another world." The southern tint in his voice rang out when he said this more often than usual, but I knew he could not intensify it on cue. Something had stirred it from within. Perhaps these were the feelings he really felt when he moved here, as if he were on an alien planet. I supposed I would feel the same way should it have been me to move to Texas. Sure, he had a friend here, but it still did not change the fact that he was a stranger here as much as I was, only I knew my way around the place that I did not fit in. That was when it hit me.

Before that very moment, I had no understanding of why Bella Swan had chosen to become friends with Alice and Rosalie, yet now it was as clear to me as it had been incomprehensible before. She had been alone, scared, without her mother even when she moved here. When the two witches of Forks Middle School had chosen their prey, they had really chosen someone who had the potential to be their friend, and they were her only option. If it had not been me to pass that note to Jasper, and it had been, say, Mike or Eric, he would be their best friend, and not mine.

When before I possesed merely acceptance of Bella, I now possesed respect. Actual respect. Imagine me, Edward, respecting Bella. This realization was soon disturbed by the booming voice next to me.

"So...you two got any girls?" Why? What had we done to deserve this? How to respond? How to shut Jasper up?

"We're not really the 'realationship' kind of guys. Tumbleweeds, you know?" I was amazed at what Jazz had come up with.

"Haha! Give me five, bro!" My hand had never been so red, and my friend's face winced slightly at the impact. No matter how much we bulked up, his smacks would always be painful. After a few more minutes of random chatter, Emmett left, and Jazz and I walked toward an un-occupied corner.

"Since when do you talk like that?" I asked. He shrugged, and said with nonchalance.

"I watch a lot of MTV."

"Ah." We glanced around the room, seeing faces both familiar and strange. We danced, we sat, we listened to the harmonious thud of the music, and the second time I glanced at the clock, I had not expected that the numbers on the digital clock read half after two in the morning. Yawning appropriately, I pointed at the clock and the two of us called it a night.

Half asleep, I helped my friend into his house, and later stumbled into my own. As soon as my head hit the pillow, my head spun into the darkness of sleep.

A dream stopped the monotony of my normal sleep. The last song that had played at the Tucker's played in my head, echoes of the notes and chords swarming my mind.

_I dreamed I was missing_

_You were so scared_

_But no one would listen_

_Cause no one else cared_

_After my dreaming_

_I woke with this fear_

_What am I leaving_

_When I am done here?_

Leave Out All the Rest by Linkin Park streamed through my sub-conscious, and I knew it was not because it was the last song. It was because it was the important song. Shifting uncomfortably in my slumber, my face winced as the dream continued.

I stood alone, searching, then running through the wet forests near to my house, fog ensnaring my legs as I did so. While I did not know what it was that I was looking for, I did know that I was chasing after someone. Golden rays of sunlight faded to gray as they poured through the canopy. I paused, collecting my sense of direction and looking around for some trace of the one I was following, or finding. It was then that I realized that the cloth on my arm was some sort of silk rather than the cotton I was used to. In the middle of the forest, I stood there with a black tuxedo and bow tie. Shining, black dress shoes were on my once running feet, and my hair had been combed back out of the knots it was usually in.

Frantic, I heard footsteps in the distance. Taking off in a run once more, the sound got louder as I neared to the source. A flash of white fabric and lace darted between the trees as a long, willowy veil trailed behind the woman I followed. Her face was blurred and un-recognizable as she whipped her head back to me.

"Wait! Please! Why are you doing this?" I was not a stalker, but a man with a shattered heart chasing after his bride. Only I was not a man, per say. I was me. The strangest aspect to this dream was that I acted exactly as I would have should it have been an actual situation. She slowed, and I halted nearly fifty feet from her. As she approached me, I felt myself begin to back away. As of a few seconds, I was suddenly unaffected by the woman in white. I was neither in love, nor loathing.

Within touching distance, her gloved hand reached for my face as a translucent tear streamed down her pale cheek.

"My love." She mouthed with her pink lips. Her fingers were millimeters from my face when my hand pushed hers away. I was indifferent. It was too formal for her to touch my face, for I had no feelings for her either way. Her blurred face construed with tears, crinkling her eyes and twisting her mouth as she began to sob.

Turning on my heel, I walked away with no gate faster than a jog, yet she raced behind me, desperately trying to catch me. Wondering to myself as this occurred in my head, I questioned as to why I had walked away from someone who I had chased after so passionately before. Pausing as she had, we repeated our motions. Nearly expecting her to run as we both had done, a hint of surprise was felt from within me as our hands stretched for the others. Suddenly, when merely an inch laid between our grasping hands, firm hands grasped my shoulder, tearing me from my love.

Turning behind me, fear took over as Jasper leaned over me with sinister eyes of crimson and a cruel smirk. He looked to the other man beside him; Emmett. He too, had the scarlet eyes and the same grin across his face.

"Edward!" She called in an un-identifiable voice. I felt myself being forced downward as her white gloves stretch to me, teardrops dripping onto my face that were not my own. "Edward!"

I struggled for her name, but could not find it within my mind.

"Edward!" The voice faded into the rhythm of the song, and it was then that I understood.

_I'm strong on the surface_

_Not all the way through_

_I've never been perfect_

_But neither have you..._

Silence, then darkness. I had died, and my love was left alone.


	23. Life Ends Without You

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. That would be Stephenie Meyer. Trust me.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 23- Life Ends Only Without You

Rubbing my eyes, my feet touched the floor beneath my bed. The purple comforter that had laid on my bed perfectly straight was now clumped into a ball; the result of my tossing and turning throughout the nightmare I had endured that night. Shuffling along the wooden floor, I decided to get ready for school an entire hour earlier than usual to try and keep my mind off of the terrors that waited for me to shut my eyes to make their presence once again. Shaking the images from my mind, the hot water ran down me, turning my ivory skin a muted pink with the warmth. Steam filled the room and fogged the mirror, protecting me, then suddenly, it began to form the cloudy figure from my dreams. At that realization, I yanked the knob to the side, sending ice water down my spine.

Wrapping a towel around my damp skin, I opened the door and swung it open and closed to air out the small space, clearing the haze that was eerily similar to the mist from my dream. As I stared into the mirror, I half expected there to be a pair of stern, green eyes staring back at me. Strangely, when I looked to see only the reflection of a brown-eyed girl with soaked hair dripping down her back, I was not relieved, but disappointed. Though they had appeared in my dream, that horrifying vision that would haunt me in the nights to come no doubt, they still belonged to Edward, and that was all that mattered. Shutting the door behind me, I stared at the mirror into my own eyes as the blow dryer whipped my hair around my head.

Putting on only mascara, leaving out the usual eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, lip gloss, and compact routine, I had more time than I wanted. After checking my email and replying to Renee's bland message that she sent only out of nessecity once a week since I had become that other person, there was nothing left to do but watch the sunrise. The red, orange and blue colors dimmed the outline of the moon, causing it to fade in its entirety. The blaring sun shot golden rays between the mossy trees, sending glimmers of sparkling light onto the landscape like secret notes sent to Forks from the angels. Though the beauty of sunsets and sunrises are nearly conditional and monotonous, this morning was different.

After eating a bowl of cereal one puff at a time, it was late enough to get to school. Remembering the red truck in the driveway, and the red BMW that was supposed to pick me up this morning, I reached for the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rose..are you alright?" The normally indifferent voice belonging to Rosalie was now strained, she sniffed furiously, and though I could not see her, I knew that her eyes were red and swollen from tears flowing out of them.

"Bella? No, I- uh..ACHOOO! Ug, I'm sick."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Rose. Alice and I will try to get all of your homework for you."

"Thanks a lot, Bella." Her voice fell at the end of the sentence, and it was saturated with solemnity.

"Are you sure there isn't anything else wrong?"

"No. Well, actually, there is. He's back in school." I was really hoping that Alice and I would be the first to tell her, but someone else had beaten us to the chase. Without having to speak his name, we both knew who she was speaking of, for she would not utter the word that caused her so much pain.

"Yes, we were hoping to tell you before anyone else. How did you..." My voice trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

"He did. He--ACHOOO-- called me yesterday. Hang on a minute..." She put down the phone, and I heard the faint sounds of Rosalie blowing her nose, sneezing, and finally a brutal, hacking cough.

"Aww, you poor thing. Listen, I will come over after school and we can talk about it then. Anything you want me to bring you?" I offered, knowing she could neither cook nor shop in full health, no less as sick as she sounded.

"You don't have to do that for me..."

"I know. I want to. Get some sleep."

"Alright, thanks Bella." She was about to hang up the phone when I rushed into words.

"Wait Rosalie?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a car."

"Oh, that's great! Now I don't have to feel guilty about leaving you without a ride today."

"Don't feel guilty. See you after school."

"Bye." After clicking the 'end' button on the phone and setting it on the table, I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed off toward my truck. I dumped my bag on the passenger side, and shoved the key in the ignition. The leather interior had been worn down not to the point of scruffiness, but to a comfortable feel, like a pair of old, faded jeans that have adapted to your curves or lack of which. I turned the key, and the monstrous engine growled to life. The noise would be embarrassing, yes, but it seemed insignificant. If my father had given me a Mercedes rather than a Chevy, I don't think I would have been quite as ecstatic. Most of the joy that I felt came from the freedom I was granted, but a significant amount was due to the fact that Charlie was proud.

It was the closest thing to any accomplishment; no trophies or medals lined my shelves, no certificates or awards were tacked to my cork board, making me no better than average, or possibly even less than that. It was no wonder that I had gravitated to Alice and Rosalie when they first spoke to me at Forks Middle School, for I could see even then that even being acknowledged by them was somewhat of an honor, and being friends with them would finally set me apart from the crowds of girls equal and better than me.

Carefully maneuvering the tank-like vehicle through the roads, I slammed my foot on the brake when a car blazed out of a small, secluded road that branched off directly into the forest. Not even aware of the existence of such a street, my surprise overwhelmed my senses, not allowing me to identify which car it was that I had nearly crumpled. My head flung forward and the seat belt was threatening to slice me across the chest. I had a new appreciation for the strip of nylon material that hung from the side of cars knowing that should I had not clicked it in place, my forehead would have made contact with the steering wheel that my hands were clamped around.

Somewhat irritated, I smacked my palm against the horn, making three short blasts. As my thoughts cleared, my heart beat furiously as my breathing halted. A slick, shiny silver Volvo was stopped in the middle of the road. The window on the driver's side had been rolled down, and music poured from the interior. For a moment, my eyes were locked on those of Edward Cullen. His face read the same expression as mine; pure shock, with hints of...could it be fear?

Sure, I was still shaken up from my nightmare last night, but it made no sense for Edward to wear a similar expression on his perfect, angelic, god like face...that beautiful face...

Jarring myself out of my coma, I shrugged my shoulders, hoping he would receive the signal of 'sorry' that I sent. His heavenly lips screwed into an embarrassed sort of smirk, and then formed the words 'sorry about that'. Smiling in acceptance, he did the same, blinding me with a flash of white teeth. My heart nearly melted in my chest, paralyzing me once more. As his car backed up from where it had originated from, the view of his face was obscured by trees. He waved me forward with an elegant hand, and I complied.

The car followed me to the school parking lot, and when my hope was spent, eagerly wishing there were two open spots beside the other, forcing us to talk to each other, my heart sank. The only open space large enough for my truck without scraping off the neighboring car's paint, was a long ways away from where the Volvo had come to a stand still. After hitting my head on the steering wheel for honking at _Edward_ of all people, there was a knock at my window. Of course, there he stood in all his impossibly beautiful glory, holding back a chuckle. Blood rushed to my cheeks, and my hand rolled down the window which creaked and groaned in agony.

"Hey." He sang, his eyes boring into mine with a friendly, yet intensity that burned around his pupil.

"Hi." I said quietly, unable to clear my throat. He leaned his elbow against my truck, the black wool of his coat resting above the descended window.

"Sorry about this morning. It isn't often that someone passes my street--er--road, and I like to drive fast." His smile curved into a grin as he ended.

"Sorry that I honked at you." Managing a smile, I released the seat belt and angled myself toward him as his face drew a centimeter nearer to the cab of the truck.

"Don't be. It was completely appropriate. So...I haven't seen this car around town before, is it new?"

"Not new, but new to me, yes." Of course he knew it was _new_, god was I an idiot. Giving a polite chuckle, his other hand came to rest on the side of the cab, making me green with envy of the truck that he leaned against.

"Yes, vintage Chevy. Built like a tank." Edward patted the metal with his hand, then focused on me again, much to my delight. "It seems like you know how to handle it."

"For the most part, as much as I can control anything." His head tilted to the side.

"How so?"

"Well, I am not the most graceful on my feet.."

"Oh I know." Normally this comment coming from anyone else would bother me until the end of time, but in this scenario, it was the best thing that was ever spoken in the history of communication. He knew. That meant that he noticed me, even though it was my stumbles and klutziness, he still observed my actions. I released a nervous laugh, and his friend walked beside Edward. 'Bella, Jasper, Jasper, Bella."

"Hi." I said meekly once more, though not as hushed in tone as before.

"Hey Bella. Sorry that Edward here is so impatient, but you know, he has to get everywhere as fast as he possibly can..."

"Thanks Jazz." He mocked, his eyes glancing from his to mine. "You know, I could tell her about the reason why you won't let your mom give you her old car to drive.."

"Nice to meet you Bella. Edward, you're an ass." Jasper smiled at me, glared at Edward, then walked off toward the school. I could not help myself but laugh at his threat, and Jasper's reaction.

"That bad?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, unsure of how any confidence of mine had returned in his presence.

"A light blue VW Bug. A beetle, to be specific, with flower bumper stickers all over the place." Laughter shook my chest, trying to picture the handsome southerner driving around in the feminine Volkswagen. "I don't know why he doesn't just take it though, it runs great." He added sarcastically, only making my laughs harder. "I like that."

"What? The VW? I am sure you two could trade for it." I teased. Edward rolled his eyes, and corrected me.

"No, I mean I like making you laugh." Ecstacty swathed my chest, making me smile from ear to ear.

"Really?"

"Course. Say, where's your next class?"

"Um, building four." He looked down with disappointment in his melon eyes, but his smile remained.

"Damn. Building one." The dissapointment radiated to me.

"Shoot. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could walk you to class, but I am a terribly slow walker, and have perfect attendance. Would walking you to Biology suffice?" Edward asked.

"Yes! I mean, sure, that would be great. Meet me outside the cafeteria after lunch?" I tried to tone down my excitement, with little luck.

"I will see you then." He said this, then departed after flashing me another grin, and winking unwillingly seductively.

The day dragged as it they had the last few weeks, only it was ten times as slow as I begged the clock to expedite the time between now and the end of lunch. Leaping from the table that I ate at after telling Alice my plans as the bell rang, I dashed over to the hall that connected the cafeteria the the route to Biology. There he leaned. His modelesque form was perched weightlessly against the white wall, a grin still in place in his eyes as well as his lips.

"How was your lunch?" He inquired.

"Long." I admitted, yet unsure of why I did.

"Mine as well. So are you ready for that lab today?" I hoped we were speak more of ourselves and less of school, but I played along.

"Not as much as I should be. Honors level is a little out of my league." _As well as you are..._

"If you wish, I could help you sometime after school." Edward offered, spinning my heart like a top with a jet engine.

"That's nice of you, Edward. I could really use some help."

"Just tell me when." _Every day, all day, forever and ever..._

"Um, how about tomorrow?" _Please let that not sound desperate..._

"I am free. I could drive us over to the library if you would like." Crowds of people parted as the two of us glided through the halls together, some faces awe-struck, some full of despair, and others were hateful glares.

"What about my truck?" _What about my truck? I would set it on fire if it meant being with Edward_

"I guess that means I will have to pick you up tomorrow morning." That was almost too much for me, and my knees went weak with joy.

Once in class, I tore out a page of notebook paper and scribbled furiously on it.

_331 Maple Ave. Forks. _

_Knock on the door when you get there, I will be expecting you around seven or so. _

_By the way, my dad is a cop, so drive the speed limit please._

_Bella_

When the end of Biology had come, I crumpled up the paper and stuck it in his coat pocket as he watched me do so. A flirty grin nearly stabbed my heart, and he whispered his question.

"And what is this?"

"This is where to find me. I am not listed on Google." He chuckled at that comment.

"Until tomorrow, then."

"Okay." I smiled, and we departed. Wishing once more that time would speed ahead, it was then that I remembered my promise to Rosalie. She would not be the only girl who had a story to tell.

Once again, I was in the Porsche, and had filled in Alice on every detail lodged in my memory. She squealed and nearly hit her head on the roof of the sports car in her excitement.

"Oh! He totally likes you! Bella and Edward, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S..."

"Shut up! Come on, I need to bring Rose some of the frozen chicken soup from my house before we go, and it will probably be all thawed out by then." Alice dropped me off at my house, leaving me to heat the soup, while she raced to the drugstore to buy cough drops and Sudafed. As the pot began to release steam, the dream was brought back to my attention. I recalled me punching the Edward phantom, and seeing him transform into the boy who Emmett had nearly killed, and vice versa. There was a meaning to it, that I knew, but I could not think straight through the visions of Edward. Real life, living, solid Edward.

I poured the soup into a container, and snapped on the lid. Right on time, a honk was audible from outside belonging to a yellow 911 Turbo.

"Coming!" I yelled as I made my way to the door. When we had arrived at the Hale's, there was a note taped to the door, with an arrow pointing to the potted plant. My fingers searched the soil, and came upon the spare key. We let ourselves in silently, so as not to awake our sleeping sister. I set in the container of soup with directions on how to heat it taped to the lid, knowing what little Rosalie knew about even reheating. The huge kitchen boasted granite counters and fashionable appliances in stainless steel and could easily compete with a kitchen magazine or Emeril's studio.

Alice had arranged the various medicines in a wicker basket, overly decorative for someone who was dripping from her nose, but that was Alice. Cough drops, Sudafed, Tylenol, tissues, and bottles of green tea filled the basket, making it appear like some sort of collection worthy of auction at a school fundraiser. We made ourselves comfortable on the couch watching TV at a low volume, waiting for our friend to wake. After about an hour after we had arrived, sneezes came from the gigantic second floor. Darting up the stairs, I carried a bowl of piping-hot soup as Alice carried the basket.

"Hey Rosalie!" Alice chimed, as I did a second later.

"Hi. What's all this?" Her voice was scratchy and hoarse as if she had smoked cigarettes for twenty years or so.

"Stuff to make you better. Here, eat." I shoved the soup at her, and she graciously accepted. While she sipped the broth and cough drops dissolved in her mouth, I replayed my conversation with Edward. Soon, too soon, however, the subject of her love came up.

"He called me last night around three in the morning." Her head was tilted toward her feet as she pulled the covers around her neck. "He told me he came back to school for me. He said that with every decision that was presented to him, my voice echoed in his head, telling him what to do. He also said I would call him stupid when he screwed up." She said with a faint chuckle. "He also said he missed me, and that he loved me more than ever." Tears gushed from her eyes like wells turned upside down.

"What did you tell him?" Alice asked in a soft voice.

"I told him that I loved him too. But I also said that unless he was planning to make things back like the way they were, not to bother calling me again." She was silent for a moment, thoughtful. "Emmett said that he could not go back in time, that it caused him too much pain. He told me he loved me more than anything, but could not let things be the way they used to be."

"Why?" It was I this time who spoke.

"Because he said that he would wait for me to tell him that we could fix our mistakes, that we could change and become the people we wanted to be in order to be together. He was tired of me waiting for him, and that it was time for me to decide." We were silent in shock. It was true that Emmett made most of the decisions, but I guessed he wanted to make sure Rosalie was not just riding along, and that she was serious in her words.

"What will you do?" Alice asked.

"I don't know. I love him so much it hurts, but I don't know if I have the capacity to change. I never tried." Rose admitted. "You wouldn't be able to help me with that would you?"

"No." We answered truthfully. I had not truly changed, only shed a mask that I had created. Changed, I had not.

"That's alright. I know someone else who has..." Her voice trailed off, and my brow creased with suspicion as to whom she meant. "Is it okay if we not talk about this anymore? It gets me kinda down."

We flipped through the TV stations, and stopped on a channel featuring some of the most talented comedians in existence. Just what the doctor ordered, I thought to myself. We laughed until we cried, and cried until we laughed.

Alice and I left her house around eight, leaving her as she dozed off into soup-induced sleep, and stumbled sleepily into my house later on. After a restless night, I was groggier than I had realized, and I also knew the earlier I drifted into a slumber, the earlier that Edward would be waiting for me in his Volvo. However, that sleep was anything but restful. In fact, its affect was reversed. The dream returned to me, the shifting forms, the terrifying mist, the sinister faces on Alice and Rosalie, and the disappearing figure of Edward.

There was only one change. A song played in the background. Linkin Park's Leave Out All The Rest.

_I'm strong on the surface_

_Not all the way through_

_I have never been perfect_

_But neither have you..._

And with that, I longed for Edward more than ever. Should I go missing, it would be him that I would want to search for me, to chase me into the misty night. That was when my dream felt more like real life than ever, and then that I knew that my life would end only if he vanished. I would never allow myself to pass with him beside me. _My life will only end without you, this I swear..._ and that was the last thought in my dream. And in my true life as well.


	24. Love and Infatuation

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. No, really.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 24- Love and Infatuation

My hand pulled at the handle on the driver's side door of my Volvo, and slid into it with ease as Jasper did the same. We were practically the last people in the school parking lot, for we had gotten out of class later than usual. A green van pulled out of the exit, and a rushing Junior girl hastily jumped into her white sadan, nearly dropping all of her books in the process, and there was the red pick up truck that had nearly turned my car into scrap metal this morning. Laughing softly to myself, I remembered seeing Alice Brandon's canary-colored Porsche speed out of the lot as it always did with another girl in the second seat.

"What's so funny?" The blond beside me asked as he clicked his seatbelt into place.

"Recognize that ancient Chevy over there?" I pointed to the truck.

"She didn't."

"She did." He joined in with my laughter; Bella had forgotten her truck entirely, carpooling with Alice out of habit, I assumed. I decided to tell her tomorrow morning--should I have decided to call her from the student directory, I would not be able to see the look on her face that would prove to be priceless. The black wheels of my car pulled and gripped at the road as we weaved around the streets, sending us further into our seats. My hands never ceased to appreciate the silky leather of the steering wheel slipping in and out of my fists in time with the G forces pressing us to the sides.

Parking in front of the red brick building we had come to love, we pulled out our library cards and strode to the door. As we sat ourselves on the plush couch, rain began to drip from the swollen clouds that hung darkly in the sky.

"Edward? Can I ask you something?" His voice interrupted the pattern of drops outside the window.

"No." I answered sarcastically, which he ignored.

"You didn't tell her about the Bug, did you?" Though I remained silent, my smirk gave me away. "You suck.You do know she's friends with Alice, don't you?"

"Do you really think she even remembers the VW? I mean really, she forgot about her own car."

"True." I replayed the day in my head, remembering the conversations between Bella and I. I had memorized her face without even meaning to, and could still see the patterns of blush that darkened her cheeks whenever I leaned a little closer to her. The exact color of her pale skin was embedded in my memory, and I could almost trace the bluish veins that showed beneath her skin that stretched over her hand. Though if I were an artist, I could sketch every detail in her face, no image of her was clearer to me than her smile, and no sound had ever been to pristine to my ears as the sound of her laugh that still echoed in my mind.

When I had apologized to her yesterday, it was out of guilt, and a new understanding. Today, however, after I apologized yet again for my mistake, I found that I _wanted _to walk her to class, to talk to her and to make her laugh even harder. Now I had something to look forward to, for in the morning I would have her all to myself in my car, and tomorrow I would deliberately drive slow, not because of the policeman that resided with her. I pictured how her cheeks would fill with blood when I told her about the location of her truck, and I found myself unwillingly smiling like a fool.

"Edward? Edward? Helloooo..." The sound of Jasper's voice and the sight of his hand waving in front of my glazed eyes did not shake me. "Ed, snap out of it."

"Not my name." I said, for that was one irritant we both suffered from-nicknames.

"What's up? You look like you...you're in love!" He exclaimed as bewilderment and happiness struck his eyes.

"Oh come on, I barely know her..."

"It's true! Normal people would ask who I was speaking of, but you knew because you're in love with Bella Swan!"

"Shut up."

"You do, don't you? The mighty Edward Cullen falls for the girl he used to hate!" Jasper's hyperness was in full effect.

"Well, I am not sure if I would say love, but I guess...I do like her I guess." Without knowing the exact words to describe to myself about how I fell, it was increasingly difficult to tell Jasper.

"She likes you, you know."

"You would know this how?" His head tilted downward toward his book and started punching numbers into his calculator as he explained his reasoning.

"First day of school, remember how she followed us? How nervous you said she was the first day of Biology? She isn't normally so flustered, either. This morning, the way her eyes sparkled when you came to her window. Come on, don't tell me you don't see it."

"Maybe you're right." That thought stretched my grin even wider. Come to think of it, every time that my thoughts wandered to her, my heart sped up and my stomach knotted while adrenaline pulsed through my veins. Not able to concentrate on my homework, I simply sat back and sipped from my bottle of water mindlessly, allowing only visions of the dark-haired beauty run across my eyes. Could I be in love? A deep crush, for sure, but love? Love was such a powerful word, and how could I even be sure of what it meant? I had watched a few romantic movies when Esme forced me to, and some of them I actually liked. I liked the literary aspect of the notebook, and the argument of science vs. the heart, and the anguish in the icy waters of Titanic.

But love? If love was defined by the romance of Jack and Rose on that sinking ship, or by Romeo and Juliet, or other literary figures in couples, alive or perished, how could there be love between two high school students without anguish? Without some force of nature to tear us apart such as the end of a summer romance when one lover must return from where they came, or the inevitable sinking of a ship in fatal waters? Without the emotional torment of clashing personalities, or families sworn each other's enemies? Did any epic love exist in real life? Or was it merely an illusion derived by the brilliant poets, playwrights, and authors of our generation and many others before that?

It was during this internal debate when my thoughts raced back to a sight I almost always came home to, and never ceased to put a smile on my face. More often than not, I would enter the white mansion on the river to find my parents sitting on the red couch with the TV flashing light around the white room, but their eyes were fixed only on each other. Esme's caramel hair would slither down my father's shoulder on which she leaned her head. Carlisle's hand would be clasped around hers, and the other would tangle its fingers in her hair. Their eyes were an unbreakable bond as they sunk into the other's, never breaking free unless necessary. They had been married for twenty five years a week ago, and their love was envied by even newlyweds.

Their love was the dream of every lover and broken heart; the endless love that could stand the test of time, the ultimate obstacle. Perhaps they were a rare exception to the fictional love that raises our standards after completion of a novel with a plot involvoning an inseperable bond. Perhaps they were an example of what I might have one day, and should that be my only accomplishment in the future, and all other aspects of my life a miserable abyss of depression, my existance would be complete.

While these thoughts and philosophies carried through my head a mix of emotions and conclusions, I was soon reminded of my bride racing away from me, then toward me, then the two of us being torn away from the other in my dream. Was there any meaning to this? Could my fears and hopes be the key to the unraveling of the purpose behind it? Was the faceless woman whom I loved the woman who I _would_ love? While her identity was still unknown to me, I knew that one day I would know. I was now faced with the argument that was the topic for most Romeo and Juliet essays; love or infatuation?

The thudding on the rain did not interrupt my rant, but the strike of lightning and booming thunder nearly jolted me off my seat.

"Jumpy, are we?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. What time is it?" The sky had darkened with the heaviness of the clouds, making it more difficult to tell time from my internal clock.

"Almost five. Maybe we should call it a day, my mom hates it when I am out in a thunder storm here, she isn't used to how often it rains here yet. " He said as he pushed his sleeve away from his watch.

"Yeah, we probably should. Hey Jazz, last night at the party when you described Houston, you told me it was a city, not farmland." This question presented itself just in time to make me appear to be somewhat normal.

"Hm? Oh that. Do you think Emmett would be satisfied if I told him it was like any other city? I just told him what he wanted to hear."

"Ah." When the hint of confusion was lifted, my phone buzzed in my pocket. The caller ID read the name Rosalie, after we exchanged numbers that morning we had breakfast. "Hello?" I answered.

"Edward? It's Rosalie." Her voice was unlike how she sounded that day, it sounded as if she were attacked by some vicious cold and raging tears...could it be Emmett? Mike had warned Jasper and myself not to mention her, and perhaps their break-up was more heart breaking than I had thought.

"Hi Rosalie, are you okay?" I pressed my hand to my other ear, for reception was terrible here and her voice crackled with static. Jasper looked at me, confused.

"Um, not really no. If it's okay, can we talk about something? You're the only person I think that would understand."

"Um, yeah sure. Listen, reception here sucks, I can come to your house if you would like."

"Thank you. I will text you my address."

"Okay. I need to drop off Jasper, and then I will come over, alright?"

"Thanks a lot, Edward."

"Sure thing." We hung up, and a moment later my phone buzzed with the arrival of the text message she had promised me.

"Everything okay?" He asked me.

"Rosalie sounds awful, and not just sick awful. I think it's an Emmett thing." I replied.

"Why did she want to talk to you about it?" He asked politely.

"Don't know. She said something about being the only one who would understand."

"Strange." I agreed to this, and we hurried to my car, turning up the heater to warm ourselves free of shivers. After dropping off Jazz at his house, I glanced at the message on my phone, and pulled up in front of the Hale's twenty minutes later. After knocking on the door, the blond let me in, looking as terrible as she sounded. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, and her eyes and nose were cherry red from tissues and tears. She sniffed deeply, and scuffled along the floor in slippers. Polka dot pajama bottoms dragged on the floor despite her height, and a baggy t-shirt blurred the outline of her waist that was normally covered in clingy shirts, boasting her fitness, making other girls green with envy. She sat me down on her couch, and curled up with a blanket beside me.

"Thanks again for coming over. I feel like such an idiot, but no one else gets it."

"Don't feel stupid, just tell me what's wrong." She explained to me about Emmett, and the ultimatum he had given her. It was not unreasonable though, and understood both viewpoints as if they were my own.

"Do you love him as much as you say you do?" I asked.

"Even more. There aren't words to describe." I believed her fully, and saw her on a red couch with her locks of hair dripping over Emmett's barrel-like chest, their hands locked around the other's as were Esme and Carlisle's.

"Then what is holding you back?" I was not afraid to speak my mind, for I was one of the few, if not the only person beside Alice and Bella who did not worship Rosalie like some sort of goddess.

"I want to change, I do more than anything if it means being with Emmett, but the thing is is that I don't know if I _can_. As much as i want to, and I do want to, I am not sure if I physically can change. That is why I am asking you rather than anyone else." I realized her reasoning, and understood the thoughts behind it.

"Like I said, what is holding you back? The worst thing you can do is not to try. If you decide to change, and find that you can't, if you try as hard as humanly possible and more, than Emmett will only love you more for putting so much effort into trying. The mere fact that you decide to change means that you are dedicated, and have changed in some way." She looked up at me with glassy blue eyes, trying to comprehend.

"But how can I be different if I can't change?"

"Look, I have known of you since the first grade, and until now you have been superficial and easy to predict. No offense."

"None taken. So, by deciding to work on myself, says that I will be able to change for me, and for Emmett?" Hope was present in her solemnity.

"I could not have said it better myself. Truly." Without warning, she flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck, nearly forcing me off the couch in her embrace.

"Thank you Edward. Thank you so much! You don't know how happy I am!"

"I think I have an idea...can't really breathe, Rose." She released me, and wiped her eyes and nose with tissues.

"I have to call Emmett...oh, I am hideous, aren't I? Oh well, that doesn't matter, Emmett matters, and I need to call him."

"I better get going. Good luck, Rosalie. Let me know how things turn out." I said as I stood.

"Oh I will! How will I make this up to you?" She walked me to the door with an extra bounce in her step.

"Just be happy with Emmett, and don't tell anyone about Jazz and I, or how he feels about Alice." She agreed profusely, and I was back in my car, headed towards home. Everything was staring to line up and facts separated from fiction. Emmett and Rosalie. Jasper and Alice, may have a chance someday in the future. Bella and I, if I could ever get the nerve to break out of my shell and ask her out, that is. As I drove through the downpour, I saw a police cruiser stalled on the shoulder of the road. I pulled over behind the man pacing behind his car, and got out.

"Everything alright, Officer?" I read the name embroidered on his shirt, and my heart began to pound as I read the words Cheif Swan. "I mean, Cheif Swan?"

"Car is stalled. I don't suppose you could give me a jump, could you? My daughter and I were on our way to her school, she left her car there, and I guess this thing needs a tune-up or something.."

"Dad!" The soft voice belonging to Bella scolded her father as I laughed. "Edward? Is that you?" She asked as she climbed into the driver's side, and stuck her head out the window to investigate.

"Hey Bella. I was going to tell you about the truck when I picked you up, but I guess you remembered." Her lips folded into a scowl and her arms were folded across her chest.

"Very funny. Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"I saw you guys had some car trouble, and if Chief Swan has jumper cables, I might be able to get you guys back on the road again."

"That is awfully nice of you. So you are the boy Bella told me about." Charlie Swan shook my hand as his daughter introduced us.

"Dad, this is Edward Cullen, Edward. this is my dad, Charlie."

"Ah, you're Dr. Cullen's boy, huh? Your dad has certainly helped out Bella a lot over the years with her sprains and stuff..."

"Dad? Maybe you should stay in the car while I help Edward." Her cheeks flushed just as they did in my memory, and I began to hook the cables up between the cruiser and my Volvo. I motioned for Bella to sit in my car to avoid getting wet, and she complied, sitting behind the wheel with the door open so we could yell to each other through the rain.

"So where are you coming from in the rain?" She asked me.

"Library." I left out the part about Rosalie-too many questions. She smiled, and opened her mouth to speak when my phone buzzed. "Sorry, I gotta take this, Jasper again." I sat in the passenger seat of my car while Charlie took over the cables.

"Edward!!"

"Geez, dude, what's with you..."

"It's dark, Edward! It is dark, and there is no electricity, and I can't turn off the gas!"

"Calm down, remember your blood pressure..." Out of the corner of my eye, Bella stifled eruptions of giggles.

"What about my blood pressure? Carlisle said that it was normal!" He was yelling into the phone with panic, allowing Bella to hear both sides of the conversation.

"Not at the rate you're at..."

"Can you skip the medical lecture, smart ass, and tell me how to turn on the lights?"

"Alright. Do you have any candles?"

"I have matches."

"But do you have candles?"

"If I did, wouldn't I have said so?"

"Would you?" This was too easy, to toy with Jasper to provide myself with the satisfaction of making Bella smile and laugh.

"Yes I would! Now, what do I do?"

"Alright, where's the fuse box?"

"I don't know, lemme look...OW! DAMMIT!"

"Careful."

"Shut up. Okay, I found it."

"Good. Light a match, and flip on the switch."

"That's it?"

"Should be."

"It worked!" He exclaimed happily into the phone. "Now, stop making you and...sounds like Bella...laugh at my expense. See you tomorrow."

"Alright. Bye." We hung up, and the cruiser hummed to life. I looked at Bella, and drank in the laughter that began to fade. For the briefest of moments, we simply stared into the other's eyes. Though it was the last thing that I wanted to do, I interrupted our gaze. "I guess you should be getting back home with your truck, huh?" We both looked down, both sadly.

"I guess. Do you like chicken parmesean?" She asked randomly.

"Love it. Why do you ask?"

"I am a terrific cook, or so I am told, and I was wondering if you would like to follow us home, and have dinner with us." I contemplated that for a moment, and if it wasn't already enough the I loved chicken Parmesan, it also meant spending time with Bella, a long time, for that matter. I agreed and thanked her, and began to drive behind the cruiser toward the school. After calling Esme to tell her my plans, I could almost see her beaming in approval.

As I drove, I thought about everything that had happened. It was incredible how one day could change so many things, I wondered if I was in love with the girl who invited me over for dinner, I helped save the relationship between Rosalie and Emmett, and had told Jasper how to turn the electricity back on. Just to think, if I had remained a geek, I would have no influence at all. Maybe becoming approachable was beginning to pay off for someone else other than myself. Perhaps this is what I was meant to be, someone who becomes important to someone else. For the first time, it felt like I mattered to someone, that if I were to disappear suddenly, people would miss me. For once, I was important in somebody else's life.


	25. Reasons To Be Missed

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. I wish.

Note: I made a small time line mistake. Edward was supposed to run into Bella and Charlie the next day, and I did not make that clear and for that I apologize. To avoid confusion, this chapter takes place the day after when Edward comes up to Bella's truck. Sorry about the mix-up.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 25- Reasons To Be Missed

Rain thundered against the metallic roof of the car that was revived by a set of jumper cables. The radio buzzed quietly as the dispatcher called various officers to minor crime scenes in the area, such as parking violations and noise complaints. Thunder echoed through the trees, and lightning flashed across the sky, sending blue, spiderwebs of light sprawling across the darkening sky. The golden headlights were the origin of two beams of lights that illuminated the slick road, shadows of rain drops falling in their rays. Thick, relentless drops grew larger and more frequent with every passing minute. My fingers drummed against the arm rest as I glanced in the rear-view mirror. My heart raced as the silver car followed ours, knowing Edward was inside.

Flipping down the sun visor, I pulled down the mirror and re-arranged my hair into order. Looking over at Charlie, I began to see the faint creases of worry in his forehead that he tried unsuccessfully to mask.

"Dad, is everything alright?" For a reason unknown to me, my stomach sank and twisted, and not in the familiar way that was induced by Edward's brilliant smile. The needle on the speedometer sank lower as my father's foot eased gently off of the gas pedal, and the Volvo behind us reacted accordingly.

"Nothing, Bells. It's just that, well, I don't like this weather, and I believe I turned too early..."

"Are we lost?" My heart began to speed slightly, and adrenaline sent me bouncing nervously in my seat. Anxiety hit into my core, and though I knew perfectly well that Charlie drove these roads almost every day, it worried me even more due to the fact that he had gotten lost. I thought back to this morning when my truck nearly collided with Edward's, and how I never even knew that the tiny road even existed. Had we turned onto one of those road that led aimlessly through the forest. Street lights grew more sparse until there were very few, if there were any at all. Street signs no longer read right turn only, or yield, but read only the speed limit, 65, on which we drove fifty. The lightning struck more frequently, and closer with every strike.

"I would not say lost, but there is no other word for it." I gulped audibly, and wished that I could call Edward and ask him to comfort me. The closest thing I had to reduce my heart rate was to stare into the mirror on the outside of my door, praying that he would not get mad that we led him into the middle of nowhere. "Try not to worry, Bells, as soon as there is another lane I am going to turn around, but right now all we can do is hope that this doesn't turn into a storm."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I don't think I have ever been down this road, and I can't see a thing. It doesn't help that the road is no rougher than a slip 'n' slide. I just have to be really careful is all." My hands began to tremble with his words; I had a bad feeling about this. Something was wrong.

"Maybe we should just stop here."

"In the middle of the road?"

"Slow enough so Edward doesn't crash into us, but I can feel a decline and we aren't in the mountains."

"You're right." He said this, and then eased on the brake, but our car did not slow. A metallic screeching rang through my ears as our speed began to increase with the tilt of the hill.

"Dad?" The speedometer needle moved gently upward, but did not stop. Charlie slammed on the brakes, only the cruiser did not halt, only the scream of the failing brakes was the result. His hand tugged at the emergency brake, but the ancient handle was never used, and the metal had expanded in the inside heat of the car not allowing it to budge.

"Dad!" The car began to go faster down the decline, and I was unable to see if it was a mountain, hill, or anything really. We hit the speed limit, and it did not stop there. 65,70,75...I began to sweat as panic took over.

"Bella! My brakes! Nothing is working! I-I can't stop! I am so sorry Bella, but I can't do anything. You are buckled in, right?"

"Dad! Are we going to crash?"

"I hope not." Tears flowed from my eyes and my fingernails dug into the interior. I had seen far too many movies were runaway trucks plunged into a fireball explosion, leaving no trace of the driver. I rolled down the window, and stuck my head out. "What are you doing?"

"Telling Edward." I pushed myself out of the window and screamed into the night.

"Get in here Bella!"

"EDWARD! THE BRAKES! I am so sorry!" The thunder struck as I yelled, and when he had just caught sight of my frantic face, Charlie yanked me in the car.

"What the hell are you thinking? If we crash, do you think it will help if you are halfway out the window? Edward will figure it out soon enough." His hands turned white with his grasp, doing his best to control the speeding car that rumbled down the road. 75, 80, 85, 90...

"I am so sorry Dad. If I hadn't forgotten my truck today..." I began to sob as the danger increased my heart rate.

"Bella, this is not your fault. If it was not tonight, it would be some other day." That was when I broke down. Images of us crashing flooded my head, sending me into hysteria.

"Daddy, please don't crash, please..." I sank into my seat, my face wet and red as my hand grabbed onto his arm. "I love you so much."

"Don't say your goodbyes, do not! I love you too, sweetheart. More than anything." My tears were violent now, shaking my chest and making my teeth rattle in shivers. 90, 95...and that was as high as the speedometer measured, though we did not slow, nor stay at the speed we had been in before.

The ray of light from the car suddenly struck an iron bar that is found on highways beside the open side, the side that plummeted into a canyon. The rail curved into a tight turn, and my heart nearly stopped beating. The roads were slick with rain, and Charlie's hands whipped around the steering wheel, and despite his reflex, it was too late. We were going too fast, and could not stop. The curve was too tight, and we slid sideways, colliding with the rusted bar.

The groans of the twisting metal mixed with my terrified scream. I had expected for the car to be halted by the rail, but my stomach twisted with nausea when we continued to skid...

Everything was silent but the rhythm of my heartbeat. The blinding rain darted around us, creating a haze of blurred darkness and trees. Gravity no longer existed, it seemed, for I could feel my body sliding toward the door, then upward, then left, then down, then up again. We spun through the air for what seemed like an eternity, and then, impact. The crunching of metal and shattering of glass shot my ears, and my own screams echoed through the ridge.

What I did not expect was, the moment before I spiraled into the depth of unconsciousness, Edward's face came into mind. His piercing eyes and blinding smile captured my heart, and I knew I had to keep myself alive for him. I had to keep my heart beating for the man I loved. Now, facing imminent death, everything was clear. I loved Edward with all my heart, and though I hardly knew him, I wanted to know him, I wanted to spend a lifetime knowing him. I wanted to learn everything that made up the man that I loved.

I could not hear, I could not see, and though I knew there was pain, I could not feel it. My breaths were shallow, and my muscles were still. A warm, wetness trailed down my cheek and arms, and the smell of rust and salt invaded my senses. Delirium clouded my emotions, my thoughts, my senses. Nothing made sense, and the clearness that had been present before was now knotted into folds of fogginess and un-comprehensible nonsense. Surrealism was the only reality, and the only thing that remained un-obscured were the green eyes keeping me alive. Suddenly, I felt as if someone was pulling me out, and was placed on something that felt like a stiff board.

An angelic voice broke through the haze, speaking as if it were a composition rather than a human voice.

"Bella? Bella? Can you hear me?" The musical, silky sound came from above me, and I struggled to peel my eyes open. Cloudy sunspots covered my vision, and I tried with all my might to stretch them away from the source of the voice. "Bella? Can you hear me? Oh Bella, Bella no!"

The heavenly face I had come to love hovered over me, only here it was marred by scratches and trails of blood running down the right side of his perfect face. His hand caressed my cheek, and his melon eyes creased in worry. "Bella? Bella can you see me?"

My lips could not grasp the words I wanted to speak, more than anything I wanted to tell my love that I could hear him, and beg him not to leave my side. As my eyes focused, I could plainly see the pain and fear in Edward's eyes. His hair was tousled as it always was, however now it was strewn with twigs and leaves. At the base of his hairline above his right eye, a red wound bled, leaving a scarlet stream down the side of his cheek. He positioned himself over me, and as his head became horizontal, his green eyes widened with panic.

A vision from my past suddenly came into view. I saw the boy who had been struck by Emmett, laying helplessly on the floor, blood dripping below him, and the same brilliant orbs of green were staring down at me. He was one and the same, and now that I knew it I could not believe that I did not realize it before. The boy in my dream and Edward had morphed between the other, shifting shapes yet ultimately staying the same. Edward was crouched over me the way he had been last year, and bleeding from his head.

How could someone who had been so weak, so shy, so strange in any perspective become as handsome and strong Edward proved to be? Those eyes had haunted me, and I now understood the nightmare that hung over my every thought and movement.

"Edward..." I managed to sigh, sending sharp pains racing through my ribs.

"Bella! Oh Bella, you are going to be fine, I promise."

"Dont' leave me." Sputtering, my head began to spin as I was lifted from the ground on the stretcher.

"I will be right here beside you. I won't leave you." As his form blurred with my mind starting to fade into sleep, I mumbled something that even I could not understand. Edward whispered something unintelligible, and the darkness swarmed around me, anchored itself to me, and pulled me under. My only fear was that I would die, and never be able to see the angel again.

I was being pulled downward, relentless tugging ceasing my breath and to my horror, my heartbeat. The swirling depth engulfed me, clawing at my skin with its sinister clutches. Pain wrapped around my every nerve, and disparity ensnared me into a tunnel of broken hearts. Words whispered through my mind, echoing with a poetic rhyme.

_When my time comes_

_Forget the wrong that I've done_

_Help me leave behind some_

_Reasons to be missed_

_Don't resent me_

_And when you're feeling empty_

_Keep me in you memory_

_Leave out all the rest_

_Leave out all the rest_

And then I sank into the bottomless tomb.


	26. Critical Condition

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.

Note: Please check out my newest story, Education of our Peers! Thanks!

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 26- Critical Conditions

As I followed the car before me, the surrounding area began to seem less and less familiar. I told myself that they lived somewhere outside of the town as I did, but my stomach was not convinced, The downpour only became stronger as it struck the roof of my car. I turned on the radio to muffle the sound, but it did not succeed in muffling my worries. Lightning struck the ground, and light plastered itself against the dome of the atmosphere, sending shivers down my spine. As the streetlamps thinned and disappeared, my anxiety increased severely. The roads were wet, and my tires struggled to tread on them, as if they were hands slipping off of a metal bar drenched in oil.

The road began to decline, and the landscape began to fade into the darkness. The cruiser began to speed up greatly, and reluctantly, I did the same. When they sped twenty miles over the speed limit, I could almost swear I heard Bella's cried. I kept my Volvo at the speed limit, and wondered why the car before me continued to rapidly move across the road. Remembering something I had learned in a car magazine, my heart stopped as realization struck. Their brakes must have been shot. There was, regrettably, nothing I could do but follow them, and pray with every cell in my body that this road was straight, and would return to being horizontal with the sea level.

I turned the corner, squinting for a view of the cruiser that was already far from me. Rounding another curve, my foot slammed onto the brake, and lept out of my still-moving car. It paused as I ran, still humming, when I raced over to the rail.

"No! No, Bella!" I wished it had been my imagination, but it hadn't been. When I had turned around the hill obscuring my view, I was in full sight of the horror of the police cruiser breaking horizontally through the rusted barrier, and continue to spin on an invisible axis as it flew into the air, and gravity yanked it downward. The curve was nearly a hairpin turn, and was not supposed to be attempted to be made on any speed above thirty.

My hands held onto the rusted metal where the car had broken through, and watched in terror as the vehicle still spun down the cliff.

"Bella!" My feet lost their hold on the ground, sending my head slamming into the rail. Wet, warm blood trailed down my head, but the pain was nothing compared to the shredded heart that lay limp inside my chest. My fingertips dug into the side of the mountain as I crawled downward toward the ravine where the smoking car now lay.

Luckily, it was not vertical, and was easily maneuvered. The sickening tire tracks and skid marks imprinted in the mud had torn apart the bushes and miraculously avoided ancient, thick trees. Once on level ground, I broke into a run, racing for the crumpled cruiser. I knew it would be best if the paramedics came first, for I could not look at Bella or her father without losing the fight to the urge to pull them out. With trembling hands, it took me six tries to punch the right numbers into my cell phone.

"911 Emergency?"

"Hello? I am in a ravine, and Chief Swan and his daughter crashed, oh my god, they must have spun twenty feet in the air, please you have to hurry!"

"Calm down, sir. Where are you?"

"I don't know trace my damn phone! Just get here now! They could die!"

"I am tracing the signal, sir, what is your name?"

"Edward Cullen."

"I can stay on the line with you until paramedics arrive."

"Yeah, thanks. Let me just call my dad on the other line first."

"Of course." I dialed his number, and waited anxiously for him to answer.

"Edward?"

"Dad, I was following the Swans home for dinner, and they spun off the road, they got lost or something. You have to help, they fell into some kind of ditch."

"You called paramedics?"

"Yeah, you have to take care of them at the hospital, I think it's serious."

"Are they breathing?"

"I can't go near the car, Dad, they're bleeding, and I can't let myself hurt them if I try to pull them out..."

"Okay, just wait for them. They are already dispatched, and I will scrub up and take care of them. Trust me."

"Thanks. Dad?"

"Yeah son?"

"Love you."

"Love you too." I hung up, and waited with my hand in my blood-soaked hair, until sirens were audible.

"Down here!" I yelled and waved my arms, and within seconds crews were down the mountain and were opening the doors. Two ambulances were ready at the road above, and I raced to Bella's side as they placed her gently in a stretcher. Blood dripped from her head and cascaded over her face, her arms were embroidered with shattered pieces of glass, and her neck was propped up in a neck brace.

"Bella? Bella? Can you hear me?" I knelt beside her when they set down the stretcher onto the ground, preparing a way to bring her up the side of the mountain. "Bella? Bella? Can you hear me?" No response, her eyes did not flutter nor her lips. I could not bring myself to check her pulse. "Bella? Bella can you see me?"

My eyes scoured her face, and finally, her lids began to separate.

"Edward..." Her voice sent relief flooding through my system.

"Bella! Oh Bella, you are going to be fine, I promise." I could not promise this, but I had to believe it true.

"Dont' leave me."

"I will be right here beside you. I won't leave you." As the medic lifted her up, I demanded to ride with her in the ambulance. They hoisted her up with cables and did the same with Charlie, whose injuries were less severe than Bella's. An officer helped me back up the side, and I slid onto the bench beside the sleeping Bella. I longed to hold her hand, but the glass that was embedded within her skin warned me to keep my distance.

Tubes and bandages swirled around, and to my fear, a breathing tube was inserted. We arrived at the hospital, and the gaurds had to use all of their force for me not to follow her into the intense care unit. I saw Carlisle beside her as they rolled her into the hospital. My hands wound into my drenched hair, and saw drops of red staining my shirt. I had been bleeding more seriously than I had thought. The nurse gave me two clipboards for Charlie and Bella, and I filled out what I knew. I wrote down their full names, ages, occupations, and little else.

"You know, honey, you might want to get that checked out." The nurse motioned toward my head.

"I'm fine." I lied.

"Should she wake up and see you like that, imagine how that would sicken her." I walked with her reluctantly, knowing she was right. I had been bandaged up, stitched up, and my hair had been rinsed from blood. The automatic doors opened revealing my frantic mother, who ran to me.

"Oh, Edward! Are you alright."

"I'm fine, Mom." We hugged tightly, and she allowed me to resume my pacing. Several nurses told us we could go home, but I refused, and Esme agreed to stay by my side. She must have thought it irrational, of course, but she could see the look in my eyes, and knew that I intended to stay. Hours later, Carlisle emerged and waved us forward.

"Cheif Swan is awake, and in stable conditon. He has allowed you to see Bella. I must warn, you though. You will not like the look of her." I dove to her bedside, and held her hand that did not have an IV plunged into it. I kissed her hand, and rested my cheek against it. Scratches marked up her entire arms and face, which had a head wound similar to mine, only much more severe. Critical condition was written on her chart.

"What happened?" He rested his hand on my shoulder, and my eyes welled up with salty tears. I knew this was not good.

"She has slipped into a coma." I sobbed with no cares about who saw, and held her pale hand to my face. On my knees, I prayed to whatevery gods existed that she survive. I kissed her hand, rested against it, and repeated the cycle. Not Bella, anyone but her.

"Will she wake up?" This was the question I needed answered as he pulled me away from her still body, her chest heaving by way of the ventilator.

"We don't know, son." I turned to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"What do you mean, you don't know!? You have to know something your a doctor for Christ's sake! Has her heart retained its beating, is her body responding at all? You know something!" I yelled into his face, something I had never done before.

"Edward! Calm down! Have I ever lied to you, huh? Have I ever mislead you ever in your life?" I shook my head, still enraged. "So what the hell makes you think that I would choose this of all times to start?! If I knew anything, any turn of events, I would tell you, but I DON'T KNOW!" He left the room in a huff when I stopped him.

"Dad?"

"I know son." He knew me too well. I tried to apologize, but the one word had settled it. I settled myself into the recliner beside the bed, and listened to the beeping machines. For no reason at all, I began to sing to Bella the song that had played on the radio when it happened.

"_Forgetting, all the hurt inside you've learned to hide so well_

_pretending someone else can come and save me from myself_

_I can't be who you are_

_I can't be who you are"_

"If I could take your place, and take your pain away, I would, my love." I kissed her hand, and hummed melodies that buzzed around my head, some of which did not even exist. Notes played through my lips, changing rhythms, but always in tune with the electronic beat of her heart. The whooshing wind moving through her trachea whistled through my ears, and kissed her hand every few breaths. "Bella, I love you, and I am not ashamed to admit it." Then, I waited for my love to return to me.


	27. Silenced in Scars

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. You already knew that.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 27- Silenced in Scars

My phone hit the floor as my fingers released their grip. My arms fell to my sides, as my jaw fell open in shock. It could not be real, this sort of thing just does not happen. Silent tears slipped down my face, as they have been so for many weeks, only this time the loss was by far more severe, and even more heartbreaking. I yanked my purse off of the table and stuffed my cell phone inside. Jogging down the stairs, still in my pajamas, my hand reached out for the doorknob.

"Rosalie! Where do you think you're going?" The shrill sound of my mother's voice peirced my ears that have heard too much tradgedy for a lifetime, no less one night. Without the strength to speak the words I had heard, I stammered the shortest responde I could get away with.

"It's Bella, she's--she got in a bad accident, Mom. I have to go."

"Let me drive you."

"No. I have to do this alone. Mom?"

"Yes?" She sounded annoyed by my reluctance.

"I love you Mom." She smiled and blew me a kiss, and I was forgiven. As fast as my feet carried me, I raced to my door as I dialed another number.

"Alice? You have to come to the hospital, Bella got in a bad accident, and she..."

"Oh my god, I will meet you there, have to go." The brief call was all but un-satisfying, for I wanted to take off as soon as I pressed 'send'. The tired beneath me squealed against the rain-soaked road, and I knew how easy it must have been to slide off...I shook the image from my head and wiped the tears from my swollen eyes. Dialing another number at the longest red light I had ever suffered, I waited for an answer.

"Rose? Baby, it's really early, what's the matter?"

"Emmett, meet me at the hospital, please. It's Bella."

"I will be right over. I love you."

"I love you too, so much." We hung up, but not before I heard the rumble of the Jeep engine I had come to be familiar with. My hands smacked the steering wheel with every moment that passed before the light turned emerald green, inspiring me to gun the BMW and stretch its legs. I hated driving fast, but now it seemed nothing less than appropriate. As I pulled up in the hospital parking lot, the yellow Porsche had just parked as well. Alice and I ran into each other, hugging for a moment, then raced inside.

We skidded into the waiting room, opposite from the alternate entrance. The automatic doors parted, revealing the blond man who had been racing in from outside. Though I have never met him before, I knew him as Edward's friend, whom he spoke of frequently. The three of us paused, all in knowledge as to the grim occasion to which we had raced. Motionless, we all wore the same expressions. Eyes widened in shock and fear, fingers trembling with anxiety, and red eyelids.

After a moment passed, I became aware that the blond man's oceanic eyes were locked on Alice's. They stared at the other in wonder, and it reminded me of the boy who had been present in her dreams. Tall. Blond. Yet she had never seen his face until that moment. While I would usually have backed away and let them be, there was a more important matter at hand. My hand yanked on Alice's wrist, dragging her behind me as I yelled across the empty, sterile room.

"Jasper! This way!" The nurse must have known our haste to be the workings of a tragedy, and without a word led us down the white hallway. As our footsteps prodded the floor with our paces nearing a full sprint, the doors parted once again to reveal Emmett. I did not look back, but I heard him break into a run and latch onto the hand I held behind me.

We approached a room gaurded by a handsome doctor in a long, white coat. A clipboard was clasped in his arms that crossed his chest, his eyes following our hectic faces. At first he seemed serene, but even I could detect the barrier he had formed through years of experience in death to hide his remorse and regret. Not a word between us was uttered, and he creaked open the door.

A bed was laid flat, the metal rails had clear tubes curled around them. Monitors beeped as multi-colored lines sprawled across them, creating mountains and plateaus of green and blue. The whooshing of the ventilator was timed perfectly with the gentle heaving of her chest. A large, blue, plastic tube was taped into her mouth.

I could go no further than the door. After stepping to the right, the shock of the scene pressed me against the back wall, and allowed me to go no further. My hands flew to my mouth as I began to sob violently, jarring my chest and shoulders. I could not bear the sight, and though I had seen far too many dramatic TV shows that were set in hospitals, seeing Bella's weak body laying motionless broke all hope that the situations I had read about could never happen to me or to someone that I loved. My legs were weekend, dropping me to the floor as I curled up into a ball.

Pulling my hands over my eyes, forcefully obscuring my view from the horror scene. Wet tears ran over my flesh, and soft footsteps that were short of stride passed me. I pictured Alice kneeling by the bed, and holding Bella' hand, as I was too much of a coward to do. Instead, I did not sacrifice my own mind, nor even attempt to brave my fears to do what was best for my friend. I was not a good enough person to be brave, a good friend, or even human.

The heat from another body reached my skin, the gentle touch easing the frazzled nerves in my arm. Hard, muscular arms embraced me, despite the density and harshness of the form, no other act of compassion could soothe me with any greater effectiveness. I leaned into his chest, soaking his shirt with salty tears, clinging to him with my fingers curled into claw-like figures, not letting him release me even if he had intended to do so.

Unbearably silent as the room was, I decided it safe to open my eyes. Edward sat in a plastic folding chair near her bedside, his head hung low in his depression, and hand wrapped around hers that was not punctured with IV or monitors. If it were not for his shoulders gently rising with his shallow breaths, he would have been as still as Bella. I could see the anguish in his once-startling eyes that were now gray and cloudy with his pain. A white, gauze bandage was taped to his forehead, where I assumed he had gotten hurt. I had not heard about Edward being involved in the accident, at least not this his father, Bella's doctor had mentioned. It had been Jasper who had called me, who had been contacted by Dr. Cullen.

It was apparent to all witnesses here how Edward felt about Bella, and it could not be doubted that his love was anything less than the bonds shared between those of fictional characters. Noah and Aly from _The Notebook_were the first characters that came to mind. Soon after, though I prayed and hoped with every cell in my body that it would not come to the tragic end as had _Romeo and Juliet_. With this thought, another rush of tears flowed from my tired eyes.

Alice knelt at the opposite side from Edward, her hands resting folded on the bed, for there was no spot on Bella's body uncovered by scratches, tape, wires, or the hands of the man who loved her. Her eyes gazed lovingly at her, and though they were free from redness or wetness, few besides me would know that this showed how serious her mind had been. She was silent, and moved no more than Edward. Her pale skin glowed in the artificial light, while his looked sickly and weak. Dark circles rested under his eyes, giving him the appearance of a ghost, for you saw him, but could not fully believe that he was existing before you. He did not acknowledge our precense, not even Jasper's.

The blond man's behavior was peculiar as well, much like Alice's. After the moment their eyes had locked together, they seemed to sort of orbit around the other, making it seem as if they had known the other for years. Perhaps they had. Jasper stalked without a sound to her side, and fell to his knees. With his hand closest to Alice, he clasped hers, and rested the other between two ghastly cuts on Bella's arm that Alice had overlooked. She set her free hand on her skin beside his, and in those few seconds, were interlocked together. They had not uttered a word, and yet they knew their counterpart as well as they knew themselves. They did not have to move, speak, or even glance at the other to communicate. You could feel the air around them, the mix and exchange of words between them that remained unspoken.

Copying the other new couples, my hand wound around Emmett's, and I whispered in his ear.

"I did not change for you. I did not change at all. I have always been the same, only I did not know what that was. You helped me realize that." It was in the face of death that I spoke my mind freely, and was even eager to do so. It was here that I knew what mattered--everyone mattered. These two newcomers had once been treated differently than they have been recently, and it was entirely unjust. Their hearts were swollen with love and honesty, and were deserving of all the kind-heartedness they had given out. I knew very little about them, yet I knew more than enough to know who cruel this world can be when people like Edward and Jasper were beaten up and ridiculed simply because they did not seem worthy of being respected. It sickened me physically even further than before.

I reached for the small, metal trashcan on the other side of the door, pulling to under my face just in time for me to lean in and puke up the last of the food that remained in my stomach. I coughed violently, and wiped my mouth off with a paper towel. My fingers knotted into my hair, pulling at the roots without ripping them out, yet still causing enough physical pain to deflect the mental pain for even a moment. Emmett watched me, worrying immensly about my health, mind and body, and he gripped my hands, releasing their hold on my locks.

"You never had to tell me that. I always knew. I have always loved you." I whispered to me, and kissed my cheek. He rubbed my arm, and turned his focus to the ceiling, for he could look at Bella no more than I could. He had gotten to know her somewhat well when he had stood around with us, and had acted as sort of a big brother to Alice and Bella who lacked siblings as I did. My teddy bear, as I called him, could do no harm to the people that he loved. He had managed to hurt someone though, a stranger. Though now was not the time, the truth had to be told. Not today, or even this week, but someday.

Nurses and doctors, including Dr. Cullen, visited the room frequently, checking monitors and paper read outs, injecting medications, changing bandages. Our bodies shifted only inches, not letting our joints stiffen. The eerie silence was only interrupted by sinister beeps at even intervals, an omnipresent reminder of the un-changing condition. It was about three in the afternoon that I was awoken.

"Rosie, time to wake up, sweetie." The chest I leaned my head on vibrated as he spoke. My phone lit up, reading 'missed call'. I walked outside the hospital in order for some trace of a signal, accompanied by Emmett. As I left, a nurse smiled politely, and pushed a metallic cart inside the room from which we had emerged. It had been filled with food; fruit cups, pudding, fruit, juice, water, coffee, sandwiches, and who knows what else sat in those carts. Due to the fact that Bella was on a feeding tube, regrettably, it was obvious that the food was for us. While this creeped me out a little, it gave me the insignificant comfort that they knew we were not about to leave anytime soon.

I dialed my home phone number, and was shocked after only one ring, a click was heard followed by the sound of my mother's voice.

"Hello?" She answered hastily.

"It's Rosalie."

"What are you thinking skipping school?"

"Bella is in--a--coma, Mom. I cannot just leave. Do you think I would be of any more use in school than I would be here?"

"I guess you are right, if it is that serious. Will you be coming home?"

"I am not leaving."

"Please, let me bring you some clothes, and toiletries." That I could not argue against. I was in need of a shower, and the hospital showers would have to do. After my mother had dropped off two large suitcases, one for me and one from Alice's mother for her daughter, I snuck into the locker room for the doctors of the female gender and found it delightfully empty. The shortest shower in my history ended, and I threw on a pair of sweatpants and a shirt, walking barefoot through the halls with my wet hair dripping down my back. I tied it back with hair tie, and resumed my spot on the floor. Alice did the same, and we both convinced Emmett and Jasper to follow. Though they complied, knowing it would not please Bella to wake up to stinky friends beside her, Edward would not dare budge.

We let him be, and reconstructed the night before, only with different clothes. The nurse came in, and nearly force fed us, until she agreed to let us feed ourselves, as long as she would witness all of us eat one fruit cup in its entirety before she left. We agreed. Edward remained silent, starving, sleep deprived, and still.

The only sounds were the monitors, and the busy doctors in the halls, until one of the monitors began to race. The blue and green lines jolted, then began to fade until they became one solid line, and one solid, electronic tone.

_Beeeeeeepppp--_


	28. End of an Eternity

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. Sigh.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 28- The End of an Eternity

My insides were crumbling, desolate. Ashed filled the places where my heart and lungs had been. The only colors that presented themselves to me where gray, and darker gray. No sounds crossed my ears, my tongue could neither grasp the words nor had any will to speak. The mind that had once roamed with love and the joyfulness of a new life was now dreary with the lack of these emotions, or lack of anything for that matter. My eyes were fixed on only one subject; her. They did not stray, nor did they wish to. My muscles were fixed, and the only movement in my aching body was that of blood being pumped through my veins by that of my ever-weakening heart.

Whilst I could feel the presence of my friends, I had no longing to converse nor even look their way. They would understand, for I knew that though my ears had adjusted their senses to ignore the beeps and hum of the machinery, they had not yet become immune to the weaps of Rosalie and the footsteps of Jasper and the tiny strides of Alice. As soon as they had entered, my senses focused only on her, as they had before, and returned my being to the existance of a ghost, haunting the bedside of my beloved.

Her warmth radiated from her hand to mine, the only source of heat that flowed through me emanated from her. She was my life source. Bella was the only tie that bound me to life. Time was at a stand-still, and when my focus was complete, my anguish was all that I detected within myself. We had been ignored by the staff that drifted in the room from time to time, and respectfully made their way around the statues we had become. I was only vaguely aware of the connection between Jasper and Alice only because of their position opposite from mine. Their hands were interlocked, flashing a stabbing pain through the emptiness that had once formed the love I felt.

Only once had we been so rudely awakened from our oblivion, and for such a trivial purpose such as nourishment. A very pushy, pig-headed nurse had threatened to force-feed us lest we take the effort to do so ourselves, to which I replied;

"No thank you." I was as polite as I could muster, especially due to the fact that I now loathed her existence, for she had pulled me back into the grim reality I concentrated so fiercely on separating myself from.

"Now, I know you are upset but it will not slow her recovery if you eat." Her harshness dug through my chest, sending a silent message through my brain, activating adrenaline through my system.

"Forgive me if I lack an appetite while I sit beside the girl that I love who had slipped into a coma due to the car crash that I myself had witnessed. But please, send your complaints to Dr. Cullen, my father, who would be so pleased that you decided to shove food down my throat when I refuse to eat until she can." My rage poured through my voice, the bitterness cut like a serrated knife. Upon this, she left me, and hopefully, knew better than to repeat the action.

I rested my head above my arm as it laid across one of the metal rails, and unknowingly allowed my eyes to close. It was not a second after they shut that I drifted into sleep. It could not be longer than a half an hour that I slept, for I knew the measure of passing time by the length of my dream. It had been the same dream I had invisioned before, where I chased my bride who dressed in lace and white. There was no difference than before, and knew what outcome to expect. However, nearing the close of the scene, our voices cried out for the other.

"Edward!" Her un-distinguished voice called for me. The difference in the sound that radiated from my throat was both an utter surprise, and more expected than the imminent sunset.

"Bella!" I screamed in my dream. At that moment, I became alert. A single note rang through the air, an electronic, horrifying sound.

_Beeeeeeeepppppppppppppppppppppp..._

Nurses and doctors raced into the dwelling, and I backed up into the nearest corner. My hands gripped the wall as my friends departed. No one urged me to leave, I guessed the nurse I had nearly attacked had spoken of my anger.

"She's going into cardiac arrest, we need the defibrillator."

"Charge to 150. Clear." Jolts of electricity raised her chest into the air as the metal faces hit the plastic stickers on her chest and ribs. The tone remained flat and even.

"Charge. Clear." Another shock was administered. This cycle repeated continuously for an entire minute, and though I knew we had a little more time before her brain would begin to suffer from lack of blood, the medical staff looked doubtful. They jolted her body one last time, and the tone echoed through the room. Infuriated, I darted to her side.

"You can't just leave her like this! You have to try something else!" No one responded to my fury. Remembering the CPR Carlisle had taught to me, I pressed my hands on her heart and pounded my body weight onto her.

_One, two three four. Breathe. One two three four. Breathe._ echoed in my head, and I made a pattern of beats and blowing air into her lungs. I glanced at the monitors, and they remained unchanging. One last time, I thought to myself.

I bent my head down to hers, knowing this would be the last time I would touch her face while it was warm. Instead of filling her lungs with air, my lips embraced hers in a first, and final kiss. The duration of this seemed eternal, just her and I in this moment, forever. As I began to pull away, my empty eyes swelled with moisture, and my hand curled around hers as I bent down beside her. The only woman I would ever love was taken away from this earth, and I would surely do the same as soon as I was left alone...

Beep. Beep. Beep. The long string of notes became staccato and repeated in intervals as evenly as before, only with more power. Her chest heaved as oxygen filled her body, and my hope was restored. At the departure of my lips, her heart had began to beat again. It was not that she was _my _life source, but that we were each other's reason for living. This was when I was assured that she loved me as I did her.

My hand carressed her cheek as her eyes fluttered open, wishing and praying with all my might that her mind was still intact.

"Bella? Bella my love, can you hear me?" Her chocolate eyes wandered through their sockets, and became fixed on mine. Her mouth parted slightly, taking in air on her own accord.

"Edward." She mumbled slowly. The most beautiful sound in existence resounded through my ears, allowing me to exhale. I had not realized that as she drew in her first breath after dying, I was holding mine. My shoulders collapsed as relief flooded throughout me. She was going to be alright, and it was because of me.

"Oh Bella, I thought I lost you." A faint smile turned her lips, and her fingers twitched as mine laced around them.

"You would have to do a lot more to keep me away." She whispered faintly, romantically, lovingly.

"I love you, so very much." I admitted, and knew that I would not let one hour pass that I would not remind her of it.

"I love you too, more than you can imagine." I smiled, and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I believe I can, but you might have to convince me." We leaned toward the other to lock our lips, and the heart monitor sputtered out of control. We parted, and the doctors met their colleagues' eyes in wonder and amazement. A female cardiologist by the look of it asked us politely to refrain from repeating this for a little while. We reluctantly complied, laughing.

The staff cleared up the room, freeing Bella from certain wires and tubes, though many still remained. Her head had been badly cut, as mine had, only more severe, which had triggered the coma. Glass had nearly shredded the skin on her arms, and though she had one hairline fracture in her foot it was miraculous that the head injury was the only critical wound found on her. She begged me to retell the tale of how I found her in the ravine, and though I despised reliving the horror I agreed. Editing the parts that would pain her and myself, she stared at me with awe as she recalled me leaning over her, blood dripping on the earth. She looked deep in thought at that moment, and though I dismissed it to myself as a near death experience memorandum, I was not entirely convinced.

"How is Charlie?" Her sweet voiced was tainted by worry.

"He is recovering from a fractured rib and a tear in his shoulder. Charlie was released from surgery earlier than expected, and is healing well." His doctor informed us as he passed, thankfully, for I knew not of the answer.

"When can I see him?"

"I know how eager you must be to see him, but it is not in your or his best interest to move around a lot right now." Her face fell with his information. "He does have a telephone in his room, and I may write it down for reference, and, I don't know, drop it or something. I am terribly forgetful, and may not even miss it." He hinted with a wink. We smiled at him and he whisked out of the room, his long white coat trailing behind him in the wind he created. After a while, our friends were allowed in the room.

First to enter was Alice, who teared from the corners of her eyes, and had to restrain herself from leaping on the bed and hugging Bella around the neck. Behind her Jasper closely followed, wrapping his hand in hers and smiling at Bella. Rosalie entered after him, her hand locked around Emmett's who was the last to come in. He respectfully stayed at the foot of the bed while Rose took a place next to me, and rubbed the thumb on the hand belonging to Bella that I clasped. They spoke to her soothingly, and her face was calm until she spoke with great excitement.

"I remember something." She turned to me, and realization came over her. "It was you! You were the one that Emmett hit." Bella's voice lowered as she ended, and I dropped my head, edging slowly away from Emmett, who perked up at the comment.

"What?" He looked at me confused, while fright overcame Jasper. Rosalie rose from her position, put her hand on his large chest and led him outside.

"It was a misunderstanding..." She began the story she told me. Seeing the scene through the window of the room out towards the hall, the large head whose hair was growing back into curly locks was bent into two mammoth hands. Our eyes met the other's through the glass, guilt read easily through their thin membrane of mental defense. At that moment, he apologized without a sound, and he knew that he was forgiven. Jasper quivered in his seat, being comforted by Alice as he whispered a condensed version of the story in her ear.

My attention was returned to my love, and I kissed her lightly on the cheek, making the monitor race. Rosalie, and Emmett, who had just entered the room again, stifled their laughter as Alice and Jasper let theirs free. A passing nurse who was familiar with our case shook her head and suppressed a smile as she waved her finger at us. Bella blushed furiously, and the doctor who had promised a phone call to Charlie 'dropped' a piece of paper on the nightstand by the phone, and then pretended to get paged to another room. There were still good souls in the world.

I held her hand to the extent of her arm as I left the room with the others. I could not help but peek in the window as we clustered around the door outside. A wide smile beamed across her face as his voice echoed into the receiver. Tears of joy streamed down her face as they conversed, and I saw the veil of stress and longing lifted off of her fragile being as they spoke. A little while later, she waved us back in as we were accompanied by the trays of food. Food, especially hospital food, had never tasted so sweet, and burnt coffee never smelled so smooth and welcoming.

Nothing in my life could disappoint me if Bella was there with me. I never intended on letting her go as long as she held the desire to stay, and of that, I had no doubt that the time where that statement was false would never come. My future flashed before my eyes.

Bella was adorned in white silk and lace, a thin veil poured over her blushing face that held a smile so wide, so beautiful, it would make an angel cry. Violins sang their songs in the background, and we danced to our song for the first time with the same name underneath the stars and a canopy of twinkle lights. I saw us chasing our children, one with eyes of chocolate and another with eyes of green. I envisioned us living our lives somewhere with life, yet with peace and serenity and night fell. I saw our wrinkled hands holding on to the other's as we remembered our lives, and this part that I lived in presently, the beginning of forever, and the end of the tumult that had been our lives. The end of an eternity of misery, and the start of serenity forever.


	29. Companion To Your Soul

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. That would be Stephenie Meyer, who sadly, I am not.

Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 29- Companion of Your Soul

The face that had been to me the symbol of beauty and grace had faded into the clouded fog of darkness. Being torn away from awareness and perhaps even life, my mind, though not alive nor dead, could still roam the realms of both surrealism and reality. Floating weightlessly, there was no binds constricting me to the body that lay limply and lifeless, and though its weight was no longer upon me, the senses in my skin of air could still feel the sensation of being lifted higher, higher, and higher still until I was being taken away. I felt as if I were standing upright though I was standing on nothing, merely the feeling that my spine was defying gravity and my head was level to the ground I floated over.

My vision was musty and tainted, though when I held my hand before my eyes, it appeared before me. It was immaterial, and merely a cloudy fog in the shape of my body that now laid in an ambulance. Though there were so many questions forming in my strengthening mind as to the purpose and reality of my strange existence, I had no time to answer them, nor did I even have the desire to take the effort to do so. The only thing that mattered to me know was keeping my loved ones safe, especially

the man who rode in the red truck beside my lifeless body.

Gliding into the square vehicle, I sat unnecessarily on the bench beside him, placing my de-solidified hand on his shoulder, which of course, his sensitive skin did not detect. I could not bear to look at anything but him, especially due to the disturbing scene of my limp body covered in blood and gashed. I supposed I was some sort of ghost, watching after myself and Edward, though knowing I was not truly dead. The word coma seeped into my head, and I welcomed it graciously, for I would accept any reasonable answer besides the dreary, though more probable, thinking that Death had taken me moments after his bleeding face leaned over mine.

Edward was visibly pained not by the wound on his head but by the bloody hand he held desperately onto. It was clear to me now that he cared deeply for me, and there was not anything that I had ever wanted more than I wanted him to know that I felt the same about him at that moment. Though now a symbol of disparity and anguish, his still body was the statue of the genetics people craved to be gifted with, or even have the opportunity to view. My eyes never left his, despite the cloudiness that had washed over the melon color.

I followed him as he did me, only not the part of me that chased him. Edward never left my solid side, and my molecular being never left his. Hours passed, and relief and fear mixed throughout me when I learned that my body was in a coma, though leaving my mind free but my body imprisoned by my brain that refused to become aware, and allow me to assure Edward of my love for him as he felt for me, or so I assumed, at the very least.

If tears were possible in the fog I had become, they would surely drown me, and return me to this state as a ghost once more. His solemnity tore my heart, and more than anything I wanted to make him cheerful once more. I had never seen him less than content, even when he had focused his anger to me, the slightest bit of sadness had never been present in his attitude or face, and I prayed that I would never have to bear witness to the sight again.

It was my fault that all of this had happened, that Charlie had been hurt though not fatally, terribly, and that I rested in a coma, while Edward weeped over my un-worthy body. He should not have to suffer this greatly, or at all, though especially not on my behalf. I did not deserve him already, for I had been so cruel to him last year, and the two years before that as well, and he had changed himself so drastically, only to fall in love with me. Only to fall in love with someone so selfish, so cowardly, so unintentionally but still truthfully stupid and sinister, and who in no right deserved him.

I would spend the rest of my life making it up to him, no matter if that meant never leaving his side, which quite appealed to me, or never laying eyes, nor ears, nor my fantasies on him again. As much as it would put me in misery to do such a terrible act against my greater will, if he had asked me, I would commit the hanous act without a second thought. Until the moment he would beg me to leave him, especially now, I would adhere myself to him.

Edward had cemented himself to a plastic chair, his eyes fixed on mine. I sat on the bed, and rested my phantom hand on his that laid on my solid form. I gazed at him, at his pain, at his concern, at his love most of all. I could not tear the ties that bound me to him, nor did I have any intention of doing so. Perhaps if he decided in the future that he did not want me, I could put myself to an end, and continue to be by his side in this ghostly fog that carried my mind through the halls of the hospital.

Hours passed, and Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper breezed through the doors, being considerate enough not to wake my love from his zombie-like state. They knew him as well as I did, Jasper even better, and were smart enough to leave him be. One glance from Rosalie broke her into sobs, sending her legs into sponge beneath her. Only then did I rip myself away from Edward, to comfort her with no effect. I huddled my arms around her, which she did not feel, of course. I gave up, and resumed my position beside my love. I wanted so badly to hurt the nurse who had offended him with her harshness in the situation, and was greatly pleased when just this once, he sank below his polite nature and let her have it.

Though his words were piercing and snipe, I could not suppress a grin at his sarcasm that before I had only heard directed at Jasper. The blond man had not left Alice's side, much like myself and Edward. Their eyes laced together as did the pair of hands that did not rest on my shredded arm, deeply in touch with the other without having whispered a sound. Realization struck as I thought about the precise color of Jasper's hair. He easily fit the description of the boy who haunted Alice's dream, and perhaps, could even be the figure she had dreamed of for so very long.

Alice and Jasper- a match made on earth that was fit for literature. Rosalie and Emmett had saved the shreds between them that remained, and their hold was stronger than ever. Alice and Jasper. Rosalie and Emmett. Edward and I were supposed to have been, should have been, would have been were it not for my lack of consciousness. Non-existent tears streamed down my face, which then dissipated into the atmosphere as they fell. The opportunity had been there, and it took my imminent death to make us aware of it. I swore to myself, the minute that I was granted freedom from the prison of nothingness that I would never be as oblivious as I had been my entire life.

Why was it that when love has been realized, it is only in the face of death? Why must such a permanant state be the only key to the information and emotion that would have been otherwise missed? The irony in this shattered my fragile heart, and snatched away another bit of hope that made up the minority against pessimism in my mind.

Hours passed, and my visitors left momentarily. In my time alone with Edward, he had fallen asleep on his arm. Glad he was getting some rest, I rested my ghostly hand against his cheek, hoping to leave some sort of impact or impression, with no such luck. As my molecular hand rested on his once more, the heart monitor went flat.

This could not be happening, I thought to myself, not now, not here. Anything but this...As the tone stretched on, my sheer body began to fade. If before I had been a sheet, I was now mosquito netting. I whispered in his ear as I was being washed away by the invisible tide.

"I love you. I will always be with you. I shall be forever the companion of your soul." I had never been poetic, but inspiration hit at my last moment. I saw myself vanish slowly into the air as Edward bent over me. The last bit of me remained as his lips met mine. Silence. Darkness. Not the confusion and amnesia brought on by a coma, but the nothingness of Death. His finger had wrapped around me, pulling me, capturing me into the abyss of oblivion. With no fight left in, I had come to accept the brutal defeat that I had died at the youthful age of seventeen.

I had always envisioned that my life was just gearing up to start, and when released into freedom of adult-hood, it would sprout and blossom with my roots ever-expanding and growing. It was hard to believe that everything was over, that my heart had but the shortest time in which to love with such a fullness envied by all, and being stripped of my solid form before I had the moment to confess my love to whom I lived for, or had lived for previously, anyway.

All had dissapeared when suddenly, everything came rushing back at a blinding speed. Colors raced and lights soared, and the tunnel I had plummetted through had departed from me, and a very heavy weight of restriction and solidity were upon me.

Air was sucked into my lungs as my lips grasped the air around me. As they closed, I could feel my skin touch itself, informing me of my newly-beating heart. Building up all my strength, my eyes fluttered open and landed on the man I loved.

"Bella? Bella my love, can you hear me?" The voice of an angel on earth made my blood ripple with excitement.

"Edward." I confirmed.

"Oh Bella, I thought I lost you." My lips curved into a smile, and his echoed.

"You would have to do a lot more to keep me away." I replied, more truthfully than before.

"I love you, so very much." With his words I knew he would never ask me to leave, but in fact do anything he could to prevent it, and he had.

"I love you too, more than you can imagine."

"I believe I can, but you might have to convince me." And with that, we shared the first kiss of both my new life, and our new life together.

Edward and I. How sweet the sound of those simple words, and even sweeter the meaning behind them. Edward and I, the two of us together, our souls forever bound to the other, and lifeless without. With our two hearts intertwined, nothing could tear us apart, not even Death himself. Some say the only things you can be sure of are death and taxes, but I no longer believed this. The only sure thing in life is the thing you life for, and how far you will go to protect it.

_**Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read my story, making it the success it has been, and may continue to be. As a new author, I cannot put into words how your reviews and addition of this story to your alerts and favorites list have made me smile, and laugh. I do have another story that is completed, 'Esme and the Cliff', and a new story called 'Education of Our Peers', but there is something special about 'Beauty and the Geek' that sets is apart from the others. **_

_**I have posted a new poll on my profile, asking if you would like a sequel of this story, and if so in who's point of view. Because the most important things to a story are the people who read it, I will respect the majority of the opinion and will end the story here if you wish me to. However, if you ask me to continue, I will happily do so. With the possibilities of the lives of Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and of course, Bella and Edward, the choice is up to you! Please vote on my poll, PM me, or review with your opinion. Thank you, my devoted readers!**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Juliett Dawson**_


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